Sub Safe Point Rendezvous
"Ahem. Well then. Shall we head to the safe point?"
"Sure."
Regular dungeons transported you straight to the main safe point upon entry. But Masinjeon Dungeon was a vicious one that dumped you at a random spot inside without any of that courtesy. Still, it had some shred of mercy—a sub safe point midway through.
"This way."
Section Chief Kim Ji-seon checked the device strapped to her forearm and led the path. A holographic map of Masinjeon's interior floated above it, dotted with points that seemed to show the other guild members' real-time locations.
My own had unfortunately shattered, so I followed her lead.
"Whew."
It had been so long since I'd stepped into a dungeon that I'd ended up being a burden.
* * *
Thwack!
My fist shattered a monster's skull. Even as I slew the swarming beasts from all sides, doubts crept in.
Wait, is this really a demon realm dungeon?
The atmosphere matched the hellish memories of the demon realm perfectly. But the landscape? Not so much. There were far fewer demons, and the terrain differed in many ways.
Just a similar environment, then?
Lost in such thoughts, I pressed on toward the sub safe point. My head was spinning.
"Oh."
After clearing another wave, Kim Ji-seon—who'd been leading while prepping potions and munching peaches—let out a small sound. She bent down toward a mushroom about the size of a head.
It had a fungal cap with leafy growths sprouting sideways—a distinctive look.
"This is..."
"Hey!"
Before her hand could touch it, I kicked the mushroom away.
...Boom!
It rocketed into the sky and exploded midair with a deafening blast, scattering dark, inky spores everywhere.
This was the infamous Bomb Itch Mushroom from the demon realm. The explosion was bad enough, but those spores caused unbearable itching. In severe cases, victims scratched until they tore their own flesh.
Not every otherworld crop was good for you. Some were poisonous mushrooms like this one.
"Ah... Thank you."
Kim Ji-seon finally realized her mistake, her face flushing red.
"I thought it was KH-1... Guess not."
"Ah, that."
I could guess what KH-1 was. A mushroom that looked identical—Reincarnation Mushroom. Used to brew potions with incredible effects. The difference? It had five leaves; this one had six. Easy mix-up.
"Something felt off, so I kicked it. Lucky break. Call it even."
No point in a long explanation; I brushed it off.
"...Hehe. Alright."
The mushroom incident had lightened the mood a bit. And I'd repaid my debt, which felt good.
"Hey! Over here!"
We finally reached the sub point, where several Gu-guk Guild members were already waiting. True to their S-rank status, they'd clearly cleared a wave—blood and flesh splattered their armor.
Soon enough, everyone arrived except Lee Shin-yul, the guild master.
"Phew, we've burned through more recovery items than expected."
Jang In-cheol checked supplies as he spoke.
"Boss still not here?"
"Probably finishing up some business."
No one seemed worried about Lee Shin-yul. Not even a hint.
"Still, what if something happened? Maybe we should check."
"...Ahaha!"
Laughter erupted from the Gu-guk members.
"Hehe."
Even the composed Kim Ji-seon chuckled softly.
Is it that funny?
"Sorry, Soo-hyeok. It's just been forever since anyone's worried about the boss."
"Really?"
"Yeah, over ten years?"
The others nodded in agreement.
"To us guild members, the boss is legendary. He always survives the direst situations—even showing up at the last second when we're about to give up, saving us every time."
"Demon Heaven Dungeon? Thought we were goners for sure."
"No kidding."
The Gu-guk members reminisced, nodding nostalgically.
"No idea what the boss is up to now, but he's not in danger. I guarantee it."
Vice Master Jang In-cheol brushed flesh off his armor.
That impressive, huh.
I knew Lee Shin-yul was amazing, but hearing it from those who'd been there? First time.
At this level, he was practically invincible.
"A guy like that? Masinjeon is no problem. He's solo-cleared higher-rank dungeons before."
"Really?"
Then why leave Masinjeon untouched for a year?
"Dungeon master held us up. The mobs aren't much threat."
"Mm."
No bluffing there. They'd all spawned scattered but reached the sub point unscathed. Even Kim Ji-seon only had minor scrapes—from covering for me.
"Ah."
Remembering something, I opened my backpack.
"Thirsty, anyone?"
"Mm, yeah, kinda."
I pulled out the backpack full of Seondo Peaches—about twenty.
"Have one each."
"Peaches? Nice... Huh?"
"Th-these are Seondo Peaches, right?"
"Yep."
Their eyes widened at the haul.
"How are there this many?!"
"I run a farm at home. Seondo Peach farm."
"A farm for those?"
"...Ah! So you're that guy?"
They'd heard the rumors, staring in shock. I just nodded.
"Whoa! Meeting the legend himself!"
"Ooh... No wonder the boss has his eye on you!"
"Figured I'd bring some to repay the artifact gift and all. Take one—save the rest for emergencies."
"Haha! Thanks!"
They grinned, accepting the peaches. They'd brought some for the meeting, but those were potion substitutes—not for now.
Bribery works wonders for bonding. S-rank guild or not, everyone loves freebies.
"Kim, take two. You got startled because of me."
"...Thanks."
She accepted without protest.
I stowed the rest. Crunch. I bit into mine.
"Looks like you all arrived early."
Lee Shin-yul appeared, drenched in blood. His pitch-black armor gleamed dark crimson.
"Boss!"
The peach-munching members welcomed him.
"Park Soo-hyeok made it safely too."
"Haha, yeah—thanks to Section Chief Kim."
"...Is that so?"
Lee Shin-yul's expression flickered oddly, but it passed, replaced by a faint smile.
"What's that?"
"Seondo Peaches from my farm. Want one?"
"These aren't cheap. I'll gladly take it."
He accepted without fuss. No surprise—he knew about my otherworld crops.
Made sense for a guild master of Gu-guk's caliber.
Heh.
Plan's on track. This wasn't mere bribery. Everyone here was S-rank or above—heavy hitters in the hunter world. Them eating my peaches? Priceless advertising.
Like a tasting event for corporate tycoons.
Spread the word, folks.
* * *
"Here we go!"
While Jang In-cheol bought time with his massive shield artifact, Geosan, Oh Joo-hee—one of the assault team's vanguards—swept her Raikal Halberd in a wide arc.
"Kieek!"
Heads flew from countless monsters in an instant. Sword strikes and skill barrages hammered the rest.
Soon, a mountain of corpses piled up—all skulls neatly pulverized.
"Clear!"
"Whew!"
The Gu-guk members had gathered mobs to loosen up. Hundreds fell without scratching them—their honed combos flawless after years together. Perfect teamwork, like a single organism.
"Looks like we're done here?"
Crack! I crushed a half-smashed monster head and spoke.
"Impressive. Gu-guk lives up to the name."
"Haha! You're too kind. You held your own too, Soo-hyeok."
Truth be told, I hadn't done much. Just cleanup on stragglers. Their synergy left no openings.
This was Gu-guk's strength, forged over a decade of trials. No wonder so many dungeons had fallen to them.
"Good work, everyone."
Lee Shin-yul, who'd dominated the front lines, brushed off flesh and encouraged them.
"Work? This is just the warmup."
"Mm, true."
He was right. Masinjeon's regular mobs were appetizers. The main course: the dungeon master.
But the master room was a one-way trip—no exit without killing it.
So how?
We stood before Masinjeon—a temple-like structure fitting its name. Pale purple pillars ringed its sealed walls.
Lee Shin-yul pulled out an artifact—a round orb.
"Let's begin."
He placed a hand on the wall and activated it. The orb glowed brightly.
Flash!
It expanded massively, birthing an identical structure opposite—a twin temple staring back.
"Whoa... What is that?"
"Mirror's Room artifact. Replicates any building perfectly—interior too. Even dungeons."
"Whoa. Does it copy the master too?"
"Not quite. But it will soon."
Lee Shin-yul unpacked more orb artifacts before the copy. He muttered, and they lit up.
I watched the novel sight until he stepped back.
"All set."
"...?"
I glanced at Kim Ji-seon; she explained kindly.
"Boss used his artifacts to recreate the master room—master included. Difference? You can escape emergencies."
"Ah."
"We call it the Fake Master Room."
Spot-on name. Practice replica—not the real death trap. They'd trained this way, explaining their high clear rates.
"Neat artifacts."
"Truth is, we don't know the details. They're the boss's."
Others nodded agreement.
"Always say it, but it's wild every time."
"Yeah."
As chit-chat flowed, Lee Shin-yul finished.
"Let's go in."
"Yes, sir."
He placed his hand on the new temple's door; others followed.
Flash!
Light engulfed us, sucking us inside. A familiar scene unfolded.