Finally, when Seo Chaeyoon defeated the final boss, Lee Kangjin, like the others, thought, "It's finally all over."
The world had escaped the brink of destruction, and now, all they had to do was leave this dungeon.
Lee Kangjin stood in a daze, looking around at the ruins. Corpses were everywhere. Only five people were still alive.
"We won… but it doesn't feel like we did…."
Lee Kangjin agreed with Mark Farshim's muttering.
Too many people had died, and there was no joy in the victory.
As he held the dazed Seo Chaeyoon in his arms, waiting for the exit portal, two portals appeared instead of one.
One was the exit portal, and the other was a pitch-black portal.
At that moment, Lee Kangjin possessed both
He used
Reading the description, he felt hollow…. At the same time, it felt like some enormous fate had placed him beside the Gaia skill holders as they died.
"Hyung… what is this?"
A blue light flickered in Seo Chaeyoon's unfocused eyes. It seemed he, too, was using some skill to check the description of the black dungeon.
Though he could barely control his body, flailing his arms and legs, trying to break free from Lee Kangjin's embrace, La Bijina pressed him down.
Lee Kangjin hesitated.
Exterminating the black dungeon's monsters… it was impossible. Only he and Seo Chaeyoon possessed the Gaia skills. Seo Chaeyoon had even developed healing resistance. No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible.
But what if… I steal
If I steal
"Kangjin hyung."
Lee Kangjin flinched at the soft call. Listening closely, Seo Chaeyoon spoke.
"I'll go in."
"..."
"I'm useless now because of my healing resistance. I'll go in."
That meant he would choose to enter and disappear.
Seo Chaeyoon, barely able to keep his eyes open, mumbled.
"You know I originally planned to kill myself once we got out of the dungeon. Hyung, noona, you should all leave quickly. And please listen to my last words. I've received 299 last wishes, so I'll say them quickly. They include catching ten sea breams over 90 cm, doing three million squats, and eating a hundred thousand chocolate crack cookies…."
"..."
La Bijina and the other two, not understanding the context, asked what he was talking about, but Lee Kangjin didn't explain anything.
Instead, for the first time since Lee Domin died, he smiled—a kind and warm smile, feeling a sense of relief.
"Chaeyoon."
"…one hundred hand-knitted sweaters… huh?"
"I'm sorry. Let's never meet again."
The youngest of the Revengers, even in this state, still hadn't lost his kind heart. Though he hadn't always shown it, Lee Kangjin cherished and loved this younger brother dearly.
Seo Chaeyoon's eyes grew wider. Without hesitation, Lee Kangjin used
So many lives had been sacrificed to clear an S-rank Red-Black Dungeon. How much more difficult and horrifying would an S-rank Black Dungeon be? Moreover, only Gaia skill holders could enter it….
'Even in ten years, it won't be cleared.'
That was what Lee Kangjin thought.
If the Great Dungeon reappeared in ten years, people would again want to send Seo Chaeyoon inside. No, even without their demands, Seo Chaeyoon would undoubtedly choose to enter again, ready to sacrifice himself. It was obvious.
That was why he left his final words to Seo Chaeyoon, who was gradually losing his memory.
"When you leave here, disappear. Quit being a hunter and live a quiet life. Just like all the people who have no idea what happened in the Great Dungeon and take peace for granted…. Don't fight monsters anymore, just enjoy your life. That's my final wish."
"..."
Seo Chaeyoon didn't respond.
Having completed the memory manipulation, Lee Kangjin handed the fallen dagger to La Bijina. With a bewildered expression, she asked,
"Lee Kangjin, what exactly is going on right now?"
"This is the beginning of peace. A peace with a ten-year limit…."
"Ten years?"
"…No, it doesn't matter. You'll find out eventually. For now, get up and leave quickly. It's better if you carry Chaeyoon."
"Lee Kangjin, you speak as if you won't be leaving with us."
"There's something I need to do. Only I can do it. You need to take Chaeyoon and leave. And hold onto Riceball. When Chaeyoon wakes up, give it to him."
"And that black portal?"
"Oh, that."
Lee Kangjin cast a simple suggestion on the three remaining survivors.
"The black portal has disappeared, hasn't it? Something about not meeting the conditions."
"Ah… yes, that's right…."
Lee Kangjin had La Bijina carry the unconscious Seo Chaeyoon on her back.
The four survivors then passed through the exit portal.
Lee Kangjin stood there for a moment.
He would never hear Seo Chaeyoon call him "Kangjin hyung" again.
'Kangjin hyung.'
'Hyung, Kangjin hyung.'
How adorable they had all been, chirping beside him like little birds.
And yet, I did nothing but wrong those sweet, adorable younger brothers.
I killed one who was out of his mind, suffering from mana depletion.
I manipulated the memories of that kind and gentle soul twice.
Lee Kangjin turned around. He stopped briefly in front of the black portal.
'What's the point of all this?'
Though he had made up his mind and steeled himself, everything suddenly felt meaningless.
A life of sacrifice and death. Everything felt meaningless.
But…
There are some things in this world that must be done, even if they hold no meaning.
Lee Kangjin slowly walked into the black portal.
***
Yoon Seo slowly opened his eyes.
This time, the memory was shorter than when it had happened with Lee Domin.
Having regained all of his memories, Yoon Seo brushed off his clothes and stood up.
"Hwashim Hunter, you've done well. You can leave now."
"...."
Yoon Seo spoke calmly, while Hwashim covered his mouth and lowered his head. His hands were trembling.
"Hey, are you… alright?"
The question wasn't asking if Hwashim could leave. It was asking how he felt now that he had learned the tragic truth.
Sensing that something was off, Kwon Jihan checked Yoon Seo's condition. Yoon Seo was composed and calm.
"I had a feeling after seeing the black dungeon's system window."
"You're… really strong."
[The God of Life feels pity for you.]
[The God of Death is proud of you.]
"My hyung is seriously strong. He's my ideal type."
Not wanting to be left out, Kwon Jihan chimed in. Hwashim let out a sigh of exhaustion, his face pale.
"I'll be going now."
As Hwashim turned to leave, Yoon Seo asked,
"Hwashim Hunter, what happened to the Unawakened one?"
Hwashim stopped walking.
"…That's quite an unexpected question."
"I just got curious all of a sudden."
"That fearless old man actually volunteered to come in here. Luckily, he didn't make the cut. He's probably waiting anxiously, so you'll need to go out and share your heroic tale. Anything else you're curious about?"
"No, that's all."
"Then, I'll be off."
Hwashim strode towards the exit portal.
Kwon Jihan whispered to Yoon Seo.
"For some reason, it's irritating. I hope Gaia takes back the Gaia Skill from him."
Hwashim flinched but eventually stepped into the exit portal.
***
Now, only Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo were left in the Great Dungeon, and there were ten minutes remaining for the exit portal.
Their eyes met, and Yoon Seo gave a faint smile.
"Kwon Jihan Hunter, should we start making our decision?"
"Decision? What decision are you talking about…?"
Kwon Jihan's face instantly froze.
"You said you trust the plan. All we need to do is go in and detonate the bomb as planned. Don't overthink it."
The bomb.
The bomb Kwon Jihan mentioned referred to the antimatter bomb they brought from Earth.
'Actually, humanity has been planning something for a long time. Beyond planetary maps, spaceships, and warp holes, there's something that's been in the works for 10 years.'
'Humans are building something right now. It's something like a bomb…'
The bomb they had mentioned back then was the antimatter bomb.
Until the Great Cataclysm, the most powerful bomb in human history was the 'Tsar Bomba,' created by the Soviet Union in 1961. It wasn't that they lacked the technology to create something stronger. The bomb's power exceeded human expectations, which is why they chose not to make anything stronger. The weapons humanity currently possessed were more than sufficient, and there were strategic reasons, such as the danger of maintaining such a weapon, that led them to stop developing something more powerful.
Back then, the "Tsar Bomba" was a 50-megaton bomb, and the breath attack of the final dragon in the Great Dungeon was estimated to be around 60 to 70 megatons.
In the 1960s, humanity's weapons were already comparable to a dragon's power. After the Great Cataclysm, with the use of various byproducts, items, and skills, humanity began full-scale weapon development, making gigaton-class weapons seem trivial. But humans weren't satisfied with that; they researched further.
Finally, they created an antimatter bomb that could be turned into an item. Its power was similar to a 100-teraton asteroid impact. It was not just capable of clearing a dungeon—it might even break through the boundary of a dungeon that was once thought impossible to surpass. This could allow passage into another zone on the planet Proxima b.
It had cost an astronomical amount to create just one of these.
The research was led by South Korea. At first, other nations, still recovering, refused to fund such a project, saying they didn't have the money. But after the Great Dungeon was cleared ten years ago, many countries reached out, offering to collaborate on the research. The amount of money involved, no matter how astronomical, seemed insignificant compared to the 1,201 deaths that had occurred. If this bomb could one day save those 1,201 heroes in the future, it was worth every penny.
The deaths of the Revengers had given everyone a shared goal.