A Priceless Sprinkler and the Bottomless Pit
Chhhchhh!
"Nice."
Connecting the hose to the artifact I'd received as a gift from Dae-su—it worked perfectly. The tank-like device spewed water from its spout, scattering it everywhere. The cloverweed soaked up the moisture, releasing a fresh, grassy scent.
"What's that?"
Sujin tilted her head at the gift artifact.
"Gu-guk Guild gave it to me this time. Not sure what it is exactly, but it seemed perfect for a sprinkler."
"W-what? An artifact?"
At the word "artifact," Sujin hurriedly inspected the sprinkler. Water kept gushing out, soaking her completely.
"Ack!"
I shut off the hose right away, but she ignored being drenched and peered closely at the artifact.
"Holy crap! Isn't this the one from the Hyeongsan Dungeon?"
"Huh? They said it dropped from killing the dungeon master."
Sujin looked stunned and pulled out her phone.
"This thing's super expensive."
She showed me a news article.
Hyeongsan Dungeon Cleared.
Hyeongsan Dungeon Artifact Estimated at Over 100 Million Won. Per Hunter Special Law, Artifacts Obtained Belong to Gu-guk Guild.
Anonymous Collector Offered 300 Million Won to Gu-guk Guild but Was Rejected.
"Three... three hundred million?"
They turned down 300 million? That meant it was worth even more.
"But I didn't really need it, so I just took it..."
"Artifacts from dungeon masters aren't about utility! Well, utility's a bonus. But collectors trade them for insane prices regardless. They're the rarest things in the world."
"Whoa..."
Thinking about it, that made sense. I'd seen news about some toilet bowl selling for billions. And dungeon master artifacts were practically one-of-a-kind.
"Should I sell it? 300 million could buy a hundred sprinklers."
"But selling a gift feels kinda wrong."
It was a shame, but I'd just use it as a sprinkler. A 300-million-won sprinkler. It didn't seem worth that much, though.
Oh. Master. What is this?
"Ah, Do-cheol."
Do-cheol, who had been patrolling the fields, flew over at the sound of my voice. What a useful guy. With me and Sujin busy lately, he'd been a huge help managing the farm—pruning wilted leaves and even harvesting ripe crops on his own. Basically like a foreman with Yelena and Ji-hyang as his crew.
Anomaly detected in moisture content from the artifact.
"What?"
Something wrong with the sprinkler's water? I'd planned to use it anyway, but now it felt like a useless trinket.
As I racked my brain, Do-cheol scooped up a water droplet with a tentacle and placed it on his head.
Analyzing composition.
.
..
...
Analysis complete. Components aiding otherworld crop growth detected in the moisture.
"Huh?"
What the hell was this nonsense?
Simulation applied: Cloverweed growth expected to increase by 34%.
"Whoa! For real?"
If Do-cheol said so, it had to be true. He glitches sometimes, but he never lies.
"Whoa, it's actually useful for this."
"Yeah? Was that its original purpose?"
Sujin examined the sprinkler curiously. It just looked like a cool toy tank—no secrets visible.
"Well, whatever. If it helps otherworld crops grow, great."
"Heh. Right?"
Sujin was already dreaming of selling the extra yield, her eyes gleaming.
"Still, handing over something they wouldn't sell for 300 million."
Gu-guk Guild clearly didn't care about money. On the flip side, I was grateful for such a generous gift.
"Can't just take without giving back, though."
Quid pro quo.
"Do-cheol, pack a few Seondo peaches. The big, plump ones."
Yes, Master!
"Cool with that, Sujin?"
"Huh? Duh! I was gonna suggest sending some to get on their good side anyway."
"Heh. Perfect."
After Masinjeon, I'd head back to Gwihyang Guild, but cozying up to a guild full of S-ranks was smart.
'This is what they call affinity grinding, right?'
I grinned like an idiot, stuffing Do-cheol's Seondo peaches into my backpack.
"So this is Masinjeon."
The next day, I headed to Masinjeon with the Gu-guk Guild raid team to scout it out. Officially, it was a dungeon on the small island of Gihae in Jeonnam, called Gihae Dungeon. But S-rank-plus dungeons get nicknames. The massive temple-like structure inside earned it "Masinjeon."
We took Gu-guk's private helicopter, so reaching the remote island was easy. In the island's center loomed a deep cliff, like a scar gouged by some transcendent being.
'That's why it's Abyss type—abyss.'
Gu-guk members lined up before the dungeon entrance, gripping their gear and weapons. I'd planned jeans and a tee, but everyone was in flashy armor, so I threw on a long coat. It resembled the artifact Sujin got from Yukang Group.
Support and strategy teams set up complex equipment around the entrance. A support guild member finally reported to Lee Shin-yul.
"Preparations complete."
Lee Shin-yul nodded grimly. Clad in dark black armor, he wore a long curved sword—Gu-guk Sword—at his waist.
"Masinjeon. Entering."
Lee Shin-yul leaped into the cliff first. The others followed, weapons at the ready.
Fwaaah!
I jumped after them. Moments later, a pinpoint of light appeared at the cliff's edge. Amid the pitch-black depths, a single beam pierced through. Reaching it, darkness enveloped me again, revealing a world under a purple sky.
"...Huh?"
Something was off. No one around, but that was normal—random spawns in Masinjeon. Purple sky, murky soil. A desolate vibe, like all life had died. And that familiar stench assaulting my nose.
"This place...?"
Definitely new. But...
"Jellun...?"
The hellish otherworld I'd been trapped in for 20 years. It was Jellun, exactly as I remembered.
Jellun. The name of the otherworld I'd been in. Not a common name—we Earthlings don't say "Earth" when asked "Where are we?" either.
Jellun. Named after its creator god, supposedly. There was a theory dungeons and otherworlds shared roots. But 1st gen awakeners don't remember their otherworld lives. No point investigating. I figured there might be other Jellun natives among them, but without memories, no way to tell.
Stepping into Masinjeon confirmed it. This was Jellun—the worst memory: the Bottomless Pit where I'd been summoned and abandoned.
The acrid stench stung my nose; the foul air prickled my skin. How could I forget this nightmare?
'Why here...?'
"Kieek...?"
As buried memories resurfaced, monsters turned toward the intruder.
"...Fuck."
Seeing them solidified it—this was Jellun. Small protrusions like nubs on their foreheads. Human-like forms with horns. Low-grade demons swarming the Bottomless Pit, exactly.
Why? I'd killed Demon King Gerhart; I thought I'd never see them again. If I'd known, I'd have prepared. I figured Masinjeon's mobs were just druids—no big deal.
"Kiiik!"
Unlike Pit demons, these couldn't speak. Confirming me as intruder, they charged. Pointed fingers writhed toward me.
Puk.
A sword slammed into the ground before me, amid the crumpled corpses. Familiar design: thick blade with gold trim on the hilt—Gramnir.
"Mr. Park Soo-hyeok! Get back!"
Kwaaang!
Section Chief Kim Ji-seon's shout echoed as Gramnir exploded.
"Kieek!"
Blue flames laced with dense mana swallowed the charging demons. But power fell short—only three or four down.
Chirarak!
Gramnir reformed. Kim Ji-seon snatched it, swinging at nearby demons. Quick thrusts pierced hearts. They fell, but holes regenerated fast.
That regen was why demons were tough foes. These looked just like Jellun's.
"Kiik!"
They switched targets to her. Dozens at least.
"Nngh...!"
Overwhelmed, a shallow gash appeared on her forearm. Blood drew feral grins from the demons.
Leave her, and she'd be in danger.
Kwaak!
"Ki, kieek!"
I grabbed a demon's head mid-charge at her. It thrashed wildly under the pressure.
No mercy.
Kwajik!
Its horned skull shattered completely.
"Their hearts aren't weak points. Lucky hits might kill, but aim for the head to finish properly."
"Ah... Got it!"
Kwajik! Kwajik!
Once focused, Masinjeon mobs were easy. Some bit my arm, but a flex snapped their fangs.
In under 10 minutes, dozens lay headless, bodies rolling around.
"...As expected. Maybe I overstepped."
Kim Ji-seon wiped demon blood from her face.
"Sorry. Got distracted for a sec."
"No need. You made it quick. Oh, and..."
She sheathed Gramnir on her back, looking sheepish.
"Sorry for calling you 'Mr. Park Soo-hyeok' earlier. Things got hectic."
Random spawns, but she'd landed nearby. Probably saw me reeling in shock.
'Embarrassing much.'
I played it cool, changing the subject.
"No worries. 'Mr. Park Soo-hyeok' beats 'Park Soo-hyeok-nim' every time. All that formality feels distant."
"Does it?"
"Yeah. But don't go 'Soo-hyeok!' either. Haha."
"......"
My icebreaker joke to ease the awkwardness bombed.