Lin Young-Jae grunted in pain. The feeling of soreness zapped him from head to toe, and the floor underneath him felt cold.
His eyes, which had been shut, trembled and slowly opened, adjusting to the scenery, only to find that he was nowhere near safe. The surroundings were dim, but not completely out of sight. The sound of water drops echoing from the ceiling to the floor was audible, and the smell of mold and earth filled his nose.
A cave.
He was thrown into a cave...
It didn't even pass one week before he was flung into the nonexistent prequel of the book. In a scenario he had no idea about—and now, his demise—which only came out from the mouth of the characters, is happening to him in real time and real life.
As he lamented his current predicament, the notifications in his eyes buzzed like crazy.
["Malicious Mana Absorption" ability activated.
2%...
5%...
20%...
Contamination level rising...]
His gradient light blue and yellow tinted eyes widened feeling a strange prick in his chest.
The disbelief was evident in his eyes as the percentage of absorption rose like crazy.
-
A few hours ago on the fifth day of possessing Lin Young-Jae's body.
He was wheeled to the lab and had a few tests. He was asked a few questions which regards his body and how he reacted to each specific tests.
He honestly answered them, hoping for a result, but it's still the same. They still couldn't figure out the anomaly in his body. His case is still the biggest question mark in the guild.
It was nothing new.
After all, even the readings says that the body is normal. His body is functioning normally, but at the same time, his body is abnormal. No results prove that it was the latter, but witnessing it is different.
Nearly even dying for no reason. Finding no cause why he would suddenly collapse.
Maybe it's really fate that he had to die.
The young man sat on a wheelchair after requesting a bit of walk. The nurse was kind enough to wheel him on the guild hospital's recreational park and now he was left alone to stare at the flower solemnly. He also couldn't figure out what was wrong in his body. He also looked at his own results and found nothing misaligned.
He thought that he just lacked exercise, but when he stood up, everything felt stiff. As if it was his first time standing up. He tried to walk but after a few minutes, collapsed.
When he was checked again, everyone said it was normal.
Normal. Normal!
Lin Young-Jae hated this word. It's a loathsome word that describes how ironic it is. He is dying but everything is normal? Is that a joke?
He wanted to laugh ridiculously. If anything, he didn't even know he will be here when he fell down the stairs from his damn apartment. He had told the landlord many times to fix that suspicious staircase but in the end, it wasn't fixed.
Hope his ghost haunts that place until it's fixed!
"Was the sunflower so beautiful, you couldn't take your eyes away?"
Lin Young-Jae was surprised, alright? But he didn't flinch, only looking back on instinct to find someone dangerously close to his left side. The young man blinked, looked back at the marigolds and then back to the guy.
"They're not sunflowers." According to a fragment of memory, he has seen this person a few times. The original Lin Young-Jae had smiled at him and trusted him as well. "They're marigolds, guild master."
Guild Master Shin In Soo is the main player of Lin Ji-Young's guild, Aegis. One of the protagonist of that story he forgot the title. But he was sure it has S-rank Dungeon Rebirth on it and the title was quite long. Like a thesis title length of some sort.
Shin In Soo can be called a craftily calculating man. He smiles almost 24 hours a day, but despite his friendly gesture, he is considered cruel. One of the key figures that helped in eliminating the villainess.
He used old time's sake with Lin Ji-Young to gain her trust, making her think that they were on the same side. But last minute of her ultimate plans of massacre, he intervened and attacked on all flaws which began the final battle and turned the tides.
But Lin Ji-Young stood her ground despite betrayal. She didn't want to lose, now that she's come so far to avenge her precious treasure.
Lin Young-Jae had a complicated feeling about this. Shin In Soo is one of his favorite character in the story because he is very open and mysterious at the same time. Like a person you couldn't understand at all until you know what made him do this and that kind of action. However, even if he liked him in his last life, he's now on his older sister's side.
"Right, the Marigolds." The guild master smiled brightly. "Do you like Marigolds?"
"No." Lin Young-Jae honestly replied.
Shin In Soo hummed, his gold blonde hair waved every time the wind pass, brushing through his forehead and would occasionally hide his red eyes. When the young man observed him more, was he only able to realize that the man had been squatting on his side to match his height.
"Guild Master, do you want to sit on the bench?" He asked. He might get numbed if they maintain such position for long, and he didn't want to be impolite to the person who pays his sister and is sponsoring his hospitalization.
Smiling brightly again, Shin In Soo stood up, went behind the young man and pushed his wheelchair. "Did you meet Hunter Ji-Young?" He asked midway their walk.
"Yes, noona came a few days ago." Lin Young-Jae replied. "Is she going again?"
"Well... She might." Shin In Soo replied. Which is a lie. Hunter Lin Ji-Young already went to the dungeon after visiting Young-Jae that day. They didn't want to make the young man worry, so they all lied that Lin Ji-Young was resting. "It's for her own good."
"I know." The young man sighed. The bright sun gave him a cozy warmth that made him feel a bit sleepy. "Guild Master..." He softly called out.
"What's wrong? Do you want to go back?" The older blonde asked.
"Let's walk a bit more." Despite feeling a bit dazed, he still didn't want to go back.
"Alright." The guild master replied, continuing his walk.
The person behind him was quiet which gave him time to think. He was still resonating with this body and the emotions are a bit spread out. Right now, this body has lingering disappointment for Shin In Soo after he betrayed Lin Ji-Young. There was no hate, but disappointment and empathy. He understood why this man turned his back at his sister, but he was sad, knowing that no one was on her side.
In his lifetime before his death, little Lin Young-Jae only trusted two people.
Lin Ji-Young and Shin In Soo.
"Guild Master Shin In Soo..." The young man murmured. His eyes were heavy and felt more and more sleepy.
Shin In Soo, who has strong five senses, could hear it clearly. His sharp hearing caught a whiff of his sleepy murmurs.
"Yes?"
"If ever I'm gone, I hope you can watch over noona..." Lin Young-Jae didn't even know why he said that. It didn't feel like something he would even say. Maybe it was what's hidden deep within 'Lin Young-Jae's' heart.
Under drowsy circumstances, his already heavy eyelids slowly closed. But while he was between unconsciousness and consciousness, a loud scream erupted in the quiet sanctuary.
-
When he woke up, he found himself dumped in some cave, void of any hope of survival.
He didn't even know how long he's been unconscious. But when he woke up, he felt like he had been mishandled while unconscious and was thrown carelessly, evident with the bruises and scratches in his pale sickly skin.
His white hospital clothes are dirty and soaked giving him a chill to the core of his bones.
So this must be where Lin Young-Jae dies, right?
According to the story, this is also the place where the final climax will take place. Lin Ji-Young, who was overflowing with malicious Mana, took over the dungeon where his younger brother died, became a chimera and soon became the final boss of the dungeon.
Lin Young-Jae, who didn't even have the strength to stand, felt helpless. This body that was too young will die in such a lonely place, lonely and probably praying that his sister will be okay without him. He couldn't help but feel sad thinking about it.
But aside from bitter memories, Lin Young-Jae isn't the same kid who would die just like that anymore. He is now a soul who is at least three years older than this body! Maybe he has much willpower or something.
He rolled over and lay on his back, staring up the ceiling rich with stalactites, dripping with fresh water every chance it gets. He stayed there thinking deeply, making sure he doesn't waste time before whatever evil is lurking in this quiet cave.
Recalling some scenes, Lin Ji-Young was not able to find his younger brother until a year later. This cave is a part of an A-ranked dungeon. A small dot in the other dimension map which is why it was reasonable if no one found him that long. He remembered that there seems to be a hidden boss underground which took over her body gave Lin Ji-Young her chimera upgrade.
Aside from that, the younger brother, Lin Young-Jae, didn't have a main flashback that was helpful. How he died or what happened to him before this was unclear. How they found out that he died in the cave was because of a piece of glove. What confirmed it is the name written on the inner cloth of the glove which broke all of Lin Ji-Young's hopes.
He just knew that the hidden boss in this dungeon had enough intelligence to make a contract with the villainess, the contents of the contract was also not mentioned in the story.
However, it can be seen that Lin Ji-Young was leashed tightly by the hidden boss. No matter what it did- to the point where it ate one of her trusted subordinates, she still didn't retaliate. She got angry, yet didn't push further. It's also hurt her many times whether intentional or unintentional but she stood as firm without complaints. The contract that enslaved her prevented her from fighting back even if she tried her very last breath.
In the end, she died from the main characters' hands.
He frowned and grunted, head hurting from too much thinking and ended up losing consciousness again from stress.
He decided not to think about it anymore. He turned to his stomach again with weak limbs and tried to sit up for the second time. Fortunately, he succeeded and was able to raise his perspective a bit, looking around from the high rocks. He couldn't see the exit and the location felt like a maze.
He's not really sure. He imagined this place as a flat plot of land surrounded by ice. But maybe it's like that because Lin Ji-Young made it so in the future. Deep in thought, he noticed a shadow moved to his peripheral vision, making an immediate turn only to face another rock. He sighed, thinking that it was just his imagination, but another shadow moved to his left. He followed it again, only to find another rock.
Maybe he is hallucinating due to hunger?
Looking up was probably the biggest mistake of his life for a moment. The moment that he met those pupilless black eyes, he froze. A silver white giant fox with black eyes stared back at him. Cold sweat trickled from his cheek down to his chin, his body frozen stiff, and his face became as pale as a ghost. His heartbeat thumped fast and his head was completely numbed and buzzing.
The young man wanted to run, yet no nerves cooperated with his wishes.
Ah... what luck.
Is this the reason... why his body was never found?
[Contamination
60%...]
.
"Hey, boss, what are we doing here?" With a gasp, a young man possessing a fiery red hair wiped his sweat, looking up at the sky seeing no burning sun. Maybe it was just a hot environment, but looking at the Man beside him who is wearing full black from head to toe, you would doubt if the temperature is really hot or not.
The Guild Master, Park Do Hyun was quiet. His dark grey eyes assessed the area seriously.
Seeing this demeanor, the redhead frowned. "Boss, why do you insist on entering an A class dungeon?"
Do Hyun didn't reply. But his expression was solemn, as if this dungeon was S class rather than A. Lee Seok Jin didn't understand his boss but decided to just follow and complain about how hot it was.
This dungeon is a forest filled with giant spiders. They trap their prey by shitting and spitting spider webs, holding them captive.
For a fire type hunter like Lee Seok Jin, his special skills are a no-no. If he causes a forest fire, they'll all be cooked barbeque so in the end, he had to use a small amount of fire and stuck to his enchanted guns and itemized weapons.
Maybe if they collaborated with that ice queen hunter from another guild, things would have been easy. He did ask about this, but Park Do Hyun seemed to be in a bad mood, quieter than usual, so he didn't push further.
He thinks this is ridiculous, but he didn't know that the guild leader was here to stop something big.