Chapter 260: Investigation
"First things first!"
Honeybee raised her index finger.
"We're low on food and water, and there are no monsters here to hunt for supplies… We need to get out of here as quickly as possible. That's our top priority. Agreed?"
"How?"
"We'll have to figure that out now."
"Oh… I thought you had so brilliant plan since you sounded so confident. Do you think just talking will make an exit appear?" 1
"We have to assess the situation first, you idiot!"
As if playing catch earlier wasn't enough, they were veering off topic again. Cha Eui-jae stepped between the two, trying to calm them down.
"Hold on. Let's not fight, and let's follow Honeybee's suggestion to assess the situation first."
"See? Soone here knows what he's talking about."
Lee Sa-young crossed his arms, challenging her to continue. Cha Eui-jae let out a small sigh.
"What ways are there to get out of a dungeon?"
"Either find the entrance we ca in through or kill the dungeon's boss. But neither of those is possible right now."
"As you can see, there's nothing here."
"The erosion is definitely expanding in real ti, right?"
"That's right. The castle should be in this direction, but it's completely gone without a trace."
"…"
"This speed, though… it's strange. I've never seen it before."
"Sa here."
For a mont, Lee Sa-young and Cha Eui-jae exchanged glances. Could this have anything to do with Lee Sa-young stepping down from his role as the warden? 'Hong Ye-seong' was just a distraction and couldn't hold the destroyed world in place. Lee Sa-young seed to be thinking the sa thing. He cracked his knuckles as he spoke.
"How about we keep moving?"
"Blindly?"
"Since the dungeons are linked, it's likely connected to other eroded dungeons, too. An exit over there might still be intact."
"Sounds like an endless journey…"
Honeybee bit her lip in frustration but nodded.
"Alright, then. Let's start moving. Before it's too late."
The world after the apocalypse was silent.
In this halted world, only three people remained, leaving traces of their existence. Three pairs of footprints stretched across the white ash. Cha Eui-jae looked up at the hazy sky. It was a familiar sight, making it hard for his heart to stay calm. 3
The monster he killed had been human. Once again, he was trapped in a ruined world.
He thought he'd finally moved on, but now… He clenched his teeth. His head was buzzing, his heart racing. He struggled for breath, and a cold sweat ford on the back of his neck. He'd rather fight a monster than wander aimlessly through this wasteland. 3
He felt like he was going to be sick.
His steps slowed. He looked at the others ahead of him. Would he just be holding them back? Moving constantly was probably the best option for everyone.
He closed his eyes tightly.
Should he say sothing?
He didn't want to show weakness…
Just then, Cha Eui-jae felt a gentle hand grasp his arm. He opened his eyes to find Lee Sa-young standing right in front of him, concern etched on his typically striking face.
"What's wrong?"
Honeybee, who had been walking ahead, had also returned to check on him. Cha Eui-jae parted his lips, but the words were stuck in his throat. A gentle voice encouraged him.
"Is there sothing you want to say?"
"…"
It was hard to reveal his inner thoughts. It always has been. People were never interested in the human side of a hero. But…
Slowly, Cha Eui-jae raised his head. He was confident that Lee Sa-young would listen, would care. 4
"I'm really sorry, but…"
"Yes?"
"Do you think we could take a break?" 4
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, not exactly…"
He wasn't sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate that his face couldn't be seen. Since he was hiding it, he had to say a little more. He couldn't expect them to understand without explaining. He fiddled with his hands behind his back, speaking slowly.
"It's just… a bit much."
"…"
"When I was in the West Sea Rift… I saw things like this for too long. So…" 10
"Oh."
Honeybee covered her mouth. Cha Eui-jae lowered his head shyly, not daring to look at their expressions. When was the last ti he honestly shared his weakness? He couldn't even rember. 8
A familiar, nonchalant voice replied lightly.
"Well, good timing. I wanted a break, too. My legs are tired from all this walking."
"Want to carry you?"
"No thanks! Go find us a place to rest."
"And is it okay to boss around like this?"
"Why wouldn't it be? You're the liveliest one here. Now get moving!"
Honeybee swung a fist in the air, and Lee Sa-young shrugged and started walking off to search for a spot. Honeybee then approached Cha Eui-jae and took out sothing from her inventory, handing it over. It was a water canteen.
"Drink if you're thirsty. Ah, wait, maybe you can't with that mask on? Just tell when you're done, and I'll look away."
"Oh, no. I'm fine for now."
"…"
"…"
An awkward silence lingered between them. Honeybee looked up at the sky briefly, then sighed irritably and turned toward Cha Eui-jae.
"Thanks, by the way."
"Huh? For what?"
"For telling it was okay to cry." 9
She looked down, her eyes slightly reddened.
"To be honest, I didn't want to cry. Makes look weak, you know? It's not the first ti I've seen a teammate die. I've even had to let go of hopeless ones myself."
"…"
"But…"
Honeybee was still carrying the scrawny monster on her back. She didn't seem burdened by it, as if it were the weight she was ant to bear. 1
"If I don't cry, who will? I'm the only one here who really knew them." 1
"…That's true."
"…Anyway, that's that. Looks like Lee Sa-young found a spot. Let's go."
Lee Sa-young, crouching on the ground, waved them over. Honeybee spun around and began walking toward him, the monster's legs dragging along the ground. Cha Eui-jae understood her feelings. He, too, had scoured piles of bloody remains before, hoping to find even a small bone fragnt. 13
As Cha Eui-jae approached, Lee Sa-young stood up and pointed at the ground with his index finger.
"There's a trail here."
"A trail?"
"Sothing's been through here."
"…"
Though it was slightly covered in ash, they could clearly see the marks— a line of evenly spaced, straight impressions. It looked like wheel tracks. Since they weren't entirely covered, it must have been recent. Honeybee's eyes sparkled. 2
"Could it lead to another dungeon?"
"Possibly."
Cha Eui-jae looked up at the sky. Ash continued to fall steadily. After taking a mont to steady himself, he spoke.
"Let's follow it before it gets covered up."
"You sure you're okay to keep going?"
"Seeing a bit of hope helps." 1
Cha Eui-jae cracked a joke, and Honeybee gave a small laugh before grinning. Without further prompting, they started walking along the trail.
The wheel tracks continued for quite a distance. They were broken up in parts, but they reappeared shortly after each break, becoming clearer as they went. Hope began to grow, a sense of certainty that they might encounter another living being. That they might find a way out.
After walking for who knew how long, they sensed soone nearby. Instinctively, Cha Eui-jae held his breath and crouched down. Lee Sa-young and Honeybee did the sa.
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