Chapter 59
Yoon Seo let Kwon Jihan's words go in one ear and out the other as he headed for the study, the farthest room from the bathroom. Only after stepping inside did he realize, somewhat surprised, that this camper even had a study.
[The God of Death takes an interest in 'Kwon Jihan'.]
[The God of Life hopes you and 'Kwon Jihan' will become closer.]
[The God of Death urges you to fight 'Kwon Jihan'.]
Not everything had improved with the advancement of the Gaia System. Was there no way to temporarily block messages from the gods? Wearing only a black shirt, Yoon Seo skimmed through the system window. That's when he noticed a log entry, an alert that he had used
'Got caught.'
Kwon Jihan had seen him use
'Still, I shouldn't take out Riceball.'
He'd wait until Kwon Jihan fell asleep to take it out and dote on it. Yoon Seo impatiently waited for Kwon Jihan to finish his shower.
***
Yoon Seo stepped out, drying his hair with a soft towel. After washing up in the spacious and spotless shower with warm water, he wondered, was this really a dungeon or a hotel?
Kwon Jihan was seated at the table. Uncharacteristically focused, he was drawing something on a tablet.
Yoon Seo was about to pass by but decided to sit across from him.
"What are you doing?"
"Hyung."
Kwon Jihan lifted his head.
"I know drawing is one of your hobbies, so can you do this for me? It's too hard for me."
"What is it?"
"Just copy this dungeon map exactly onto here."
Kwon Jihan showed him the tablet screen. The dungeon map displayed in the system window was also being replicated on the tablet. The map was 8% complete.
"Why bother drawing it? You can just check the system window."
"The system window disappears once we leave the dungeon."
"What's the point of looking at a dungeon map outside the dungeon?"
"If you look at it outside the dungeon, it's not a dungeon map, it's a map of Proxima b."
Kwon Jihan manipulated the screen size with his fingers. Yoon Seo's eyes widened.
The massive exoplanet, said to be three times the size of Earth, appeared on the screen.
Most of it was blank, but in certain scattered areas, some terrain had been drawn. Compared to the planet's overall size, it was barely anything, but it was still a map.
A distant alien world, reachable only through dungeon portals. Proxima b.
Areas beyond the dungeon's designated range were blocked by an opaque barrier, making them impossible to see.
Yet humanity was attempting to map an alien planet.
Yoon Seo spoke flatly.
"I'll have to decline. I'm not good at drawing, and if I mess it up, that could be a huge problem."
"Wasn't drawing your hobby?"
No. It was just something he had no choice but to do because of a will that said, 'Draw 120 landscapes, 30 portraits, and 30 still lifes.'
"It is a hobby, but I have no skill. Especially when it comes to maps, I've never drawn one before."
"That's harsh. Don't you feel bad for an S-rank hunter who just finished an intense battle and doesn't even get to rest?"
"It wasn't even that intense. And if I touch that map, you'll get even less rest. I'll just ruin it."
Yoon Seo spoke firmly and got up from his seat. Both beds were the same size. When Yoon Seo said he would take the bed on the right, Kwon Jihan simply replied that he could.
Yoon Seo dried his hair with a hairdryer. Buuuuung—amid the loud noise, there was a knock on the camper door. When Yoon Seo turned off the power, a voice came from outside.
"Jihan hyung, Yoon Seo hyung. Time for dinner."
Soo Jaehee called out to them cheerfully.
Dinner?
Yoon Seo let out a small laugh.
Taking a clean shower, drying his hair with a hairdryer, and then sitting down for dinner, what kind of dungeon was this?
It truly felt like times had changed.
***
After eating a steak meal, cooked by a hunter with cooking skill, along with various grilled vegetables, he even finished brushing his teeth.
A small battle had broken out when the smell of food attracted monsters, but it had been a truly minor skirmish.
After the meal, most people went to sleep, some trained nearby, and others gathered around a fire to chat.
"Ah, damn. I forgot to bring the projector. I wanted to watch a movie."
"Stop relying too much on your S-rank stamina and just get some sleep."
"I'm stuck in the same car as that couple, so I've decided to stay up all night. Ahjussi, chat with me."
"What about Hunter Hong Euiyoon?"
"That hyung went to bed. He's ridiculously proper, it's honestly creepy. How can he even think about sleeping when that couple is right there? They're making out so loudly right next to him."
"Then should I lend you one of my books?"
"Ahjussi, your books are boring."
"That's harsh. The Gaia System itself recognized them as creative works, you know."
Grumbling, Soo Jaehee eventually took a book from Alec.
"Team leader, you know the ground temperature, right? It looks like it's about to explode. This place is dangerous."
"Well, we can't exactly sleep in the air. We'll have to trust the shield."
Not far away, the leader of Team 2 and Park Soobin were having a serious discussion.
The area was surrounded by lava, and magma flowed beneath the ground. Even without measuring the temperature, the heat rising from the ground was visible to the naked eye. If they weren't careful, the entire camper could end up submerged in lava.
Still, they decided to stay, relying on the shields of the protection-type hunters.
Of course, what they truly trusted wasn't their fellow team hunters, it was Yoon Seo, shrouded in mystery.
"Ah, Yoon Seo."
Just as Yoon Seo, who had been checking the shields with the protection hunters, was about to enter the camper, Park Soobin quickly ran up to him.
"Yoon Seoi, have a potion too. Seokyoung always keeps plenty of mana potions in stock, so there's no need to be frugal."
"I already drank one."
"You didn't drink it. I counted how many were used by the team members and even calculated the experience points."
"…I don't need it."
"You're saying you still have mana left…?"
This was someone who had created a shield with over ten thousand hours of duration at the guild stone, then generated something similar on this very ground. And yet, he still didn't need to drink a mana potion. It was impossible not to be surprised.
"It's not like I have plenty to spare. If I feel like I'm running low, I'll take one on my own."
Yoon Seo added.
Honestly, his mana was in a serious state. It hadn't been at 100% since they entered, and when he used
"Make sure you do."
"Yes, Soobin, you should take yours too."
"Of course. I've already fully replenished my mana."
Park Soobin smiled brightly.
"Good night, Yoon Seo. Even if we won't be able to sleep for long."
"Five hours is plenty long. Good night to you too, Soobin."
"Yoon Seo hyung, you're heading in now? Good night. Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams to you too."
As Yoon Seo was about to enter the camper, Soo Jaehee and Alec also bid him good night. Yoon Seo gave a faint smile.
"Good night, Jaehee. You too, Hunter Alec."
After finishing his goodbyes, Yoon Seo stepped into the camper. Kwon Jihan was sitting on the bed, staring into space, seemingly deep in thought. He was probably looking at a system window. Yoon Seo was about to lie down when—ah, right—he stopped by the side of the bed.
He spread his legs slightly, pushed his hips back, bent his knees, then straightened his back again. His arms remained extended straight in front of him. As he repeated the motion, Kwon Jihan asked, in an uncharacteristically baffled tone.
"Hyung, what are you doing? Trying to get my attention?"
"I'm doing today's squats."
"Wow. Squats. What an intense workout. Do you do this every day…?"
"I try to do it daily."
"No wonder your body is so lean and toned."
Hearing that from Kwon Jihan, who had the most flawless physique of anyone Yoon Seo had ever seen, made Yoon Seo feel oddly self-conscious.
"I envy your build, so I might as well join in."
Kwon Jihan got up and, standing next to Yoon Seo, mimicked his squat stance perfectly.
[The God of Death praises 'Kwon Jihan.']
At this rate, Kwon Jihan might end up with another guardian god.
But the praise was well-deserved. He wasn't just doing this on a whim—his form was so perfect it could be featured in a squat training manual. Many S-ranks were lazy when it came to working out, since their bodies naturally stayed in peak condition without effort. But, as expected, Kwon Jihan was different from the others.
'Righteous, kind, and even diligent?'
Yoon Seo sighed internally.
He liked this about him too… which meant he didn't like it at all.
***
8. Mana Exhaustion
The planned sleep duration was five hours, but Yoon Seo woke up after four. Even without setting an alarm, his eyes naturally opened. He glanced at Kwon Jihan, who was still sleeping soundly in the bed next to him, then got up, washed his face, and stepped outside.
"Hyung, you're up?"
"Good morning."
Soo Jaehee and Alec, who were already awake, whether they hadn't slept at all or had just woken up early, greeted Yoon Seo. He returned the greeting. If it weren't for the lava flowing in the background and the constant notifications about the shield's durability decreasing in real time, it would have been a peaceful morning.
"Hyung, where are you going?"
"I'm going to check on the shield."
"Oh, okay. I already took care of the monsters, but should I come with you?"
"I'm fine."
Yoon Seo declined Soo Jaehee's offer and took off running. In truth, checking the shield was just an excuse, he had come out to do his daily run.
Dodging the scattered large rocks and cracked ground, he ran three laps before returning. By then, more people had woken up. Alec, who wouldn't even feel tired after staying up for several nights, yawned for no reason and gestured toward Yoon Seo.
"You said you were checking the shield, but you ran three laps instead?"
"I figured I might as well get a run in."