Chapter 178

The endlessly descending elevator finally came to a stop on the 114th floor.

“We have arrived. There are a few announcements, so please wait here for a moment.”

At Cha Dohwan’s instruction, the party members turned their heads to survey their surroundings from the elevator platform.

“Whoa…”

“Where does this place even begin or end? Someone with kenophobia would never make it here.”

“What’s that?”

“A phobia of vast, open spaces. It’s a thing.”

“Damn, look at you, acting all smart.”

Indeed, it was enough to trigger a fear of the vast unknown.

A space of unimaginable scale stretched out endlessly. It felt as though one could walk for days and never reach its end.

The vast expanse was completely empty. There wasn’t even any visible lighting; the brightness seemed to be maintained by magic.

“Your attention, please.”

Cha Dohwan raised his hand, and the chattering party members fell silent, their eyes on him.

“The projected clear time has been changed from one year to six months. Please take note of this.”

A murmur ran through the party. Some voiced concerns that the timeline was too tight, while others nodded as if it were to be expected.

In truth, the projected time was meaningless.

After all, the last party to challenge this dungeon two years ago had also set a one-year goal, only to declare failure and retreat after just six months.

The reason for their failure was the insane difficulty, but their inability to endure the mental strain was also a major factor.

No human could last a full year in a dungeon designed to drive even the sanest person mad.

I’d heard that none of the party members who returned alive after six months were currently living normal lives.

This led to the conclusion that they had to clear the dungeon within half a year, no matter what. That was why Cha Dohwan had set the projection at six months.

“The maximum amount of time a person can mentally endure inside a dungeon is said to be six months, but in reality, it’s much shorter. If you don’t want to go insane, we must escape this place within half a year, whether we succeed or fail.”

Cha Dohwan paused, making eye contact with the party members.

“People are calling us the greatest party in history. Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but I agree. This isn’t just wishful thinking; it’s an objective assessment. My guild recently converted each member’s abilities into numerical data for analysis. And let me tell you, you’re all absurdly strong.”

His words managed to quell the somewhat anxious atmosphere.

“I believe in all of you. Let’s not take half a year, or even three months. Let’s clear all the way to the 120th floor in just one month and shock the world.”

He really was a master at controlling the mood.

Smiles appeared on the party members’ faces. Some even started joking around, as if they had never been anxious at all.

“Alright, let’s rest here for today and begin the clear tomorrow. Oh, and the supplies for today are stacked at the front. Feel free to take what you need.”

“Party Leader, can we keep whatever is left after we’re done?”

“Haha, of course.”

The party members grabbed their supplies and stepped off the elevator. The mood was boisterous, almost as if they were on a picnic.

Shinwoo and I also picked out our supplies. Even though the others had greedily taken their share, the pile hardly seemed to have shrunk.

“An automatic tent? Oh, it comes with a sleeping bag. Shinwoo, let’s just grab this and some food.”

“Give it here, I’ll carry it. But are we just leaving the rest there?”

“The elevator only moves when all living party members are on it. And the moment it goes up, all the floors you’ve cleared get reset. That means you can’t leave supplies on a save floor, go down to clear lower levels, and then come back up for them when you need them. So, the rule is to keep the supplies on the elevator so they move with the party.”

We took our supplies and found a spot.

“How about here?”

“I’ll do it. You just stay put, noona.”

Shinwoo pulled the tent from a pouch the size of a human forearm and tossed it.

The crumpled tent slowly unfolded, transforming into a decent-looking shelter.

*Is it a one-person tent?*

The tent was smaller than I expected. A quick glance told me it wasn’t big enough for two sleeping bags.

“Um… Shinwoo, wait a second. I’ll go get another tent.”

“Why?”

“I don’t think we can fit more than one sleeping bag in there.”

“It’s fine.”

Was he planning to sleep outside? Not exactly, but with plenty of supplies, there was no reason for him to put himself through that.

“You want to sleep outside?”

“No, I’m sleeping inside. Next to you.”

“…”

“Don’t get another tent.”

Shinwoo laid out one sleeping bag inside the tent and prepared our meal—a simple emergency ration that just needed water.

“How have you been?”

“Earning money.”

“You weren’t running Gates, were you?”

If he had, I would have known, so that couldn’t be it.

“Just… part-time jobs.”

“Why would someone who was sick be working? What about the allowance I sent you?”

“Can you really say that after seeing me now? And how could I spend the money you worked so hard to earn?”

“I earn money for you to use. Aren’t you thinking about me?”

“I still don’t want to.”

“Why not? Most people dream of living without working!”

“I’ve already lived like a leech off you for long enough. I don’t want to live like that anymore. And…”

Shinwoo hesitated for a moment.

“I didn’t want you to see me as some powerless younger guy.”

I couldn’t press him any further. How could I scold him when he said that with such a crestfallen look?

“That… uh, um, I think it’s ready. Let’s eat.”

When I lifted the lid, a decent aroma wafted out.

“Smells good, doesn’t it?”

“It’s too salty. You eat this one, noona. It’s fine.”

Why was this so much fun? We were just sharing a measly emergency ration, but I felt like I could die from happiness. Just looking at Shinwoo’s face was fun.

Someone interrupted our cozy meal.

“Saan, I thought you might need another tent, so I brought one. Where should I set it up?”

It was Cha Dohwan. He stood there holding a tent I hadn’t asked for. I replied coldly.

“We’re fine.”

“It’s a one-person tent, so it’ll be uncomfortable for two. And… it doesn’t look good to the others.”

I unconsciously glanced at Shinwoo. He speared a meatball with his fork and held it out to me, not even sparing Cha Dohwan a look.

“Say ‘ah’.”

Shinwoo, having been brought back to life by the new medicine, rarely spoke with others. He especially couldn’t stand it when someone touched him without permission. He wouldn’t even shake hands.

*He wasn’t always like this.*

I didn’t dislike his changed personality. He was still as affectionate as ever, but only toward me.

However, his coldness toward others was a bit concerning. I worried he might attract unnecessary animosity.

One was being completely ignored, while the other just kept smiling brightly. Caught in the middle, I could only shift my eyes back and forth.

“Uh…”

The moment I opened my mouth, feeling like I had to say something, Shinwoo pushed the meatball in.

“Is it good?”

It is good…

When I nodded, Shinwoo let out a small laugh. Then, he wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of my mouth with his thumb and licked it off.

“It really is tasty.”

Cha Dohwan’s eyes curved into a gentle smile as he spoke.

“You two siblings are so close. It’s nice to see. I’ll set up the tent over there for you.”

For the first time, Shinwoo spoke. His cold gaze shot toward Cha Dohwan.

“We’re not siblings.”

“Who but family would act like you do, Shinwoo? Eating food scraps from someone else’s mouth is a bit unsanitary, isn’t it?”

My eyes widened. I had never once thought of it that way.

It made sense, as this wasn’t the first or second time it had happened.

I was a messy eater, and every time, Shinwoo had acted just like this.

He would pick a grain of rice from my lips and eat it, or lick his hand after wiping sauce from my face.

“You’re making a mess again.”

It was such a common occurrence between us that I never found it strange.

Shinwoo tilted his head, a look of utter confusion on his face.

“Do you not swallow saliva when you kiss your lover?”

Ugh.

My shoulders instinctively tensed up. It wasn’t because of Shinwoo’s blunt words, but because his entire aura had changed.

A chillingly cold energy pressed down on the area. It was so alien that if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought a monster had appeared.

Cha Dohwan seemed to have felt something too. He furrowed his brow and took a step back.

Yet he tilted his head, as if unsure why he’d retreated. The distance between him and Shinwoo must have kept him from sensing the energy clearly.

Cha Dohwan glanced around briefly before asking.

“Are you two… in that kind of relationship? The articles said you were like family.”

“We don’t share a drop of blood. What family?”

Cha Dohwan pressed his lips shut. He must have finally understood why I always looked happiest when talking about Shinwoo.

Cha Dohwan averted his gaze. His eyes were filled with a chilling coldness and resentment.

“You deceived me.”

“Excuse me?”

I was dumbfounded. Deceived him? How?

I had only just recently realized my own feelings for Shinwoo. I had never dated Cha Dohwan, let alone led him on.

Of course, Cha Dohwan had misunderstood my actions. But that wasn’t a problem I was responsible for.

*Why is he acting like this after getting the wrong idea all by himself? Anyone listening would think I was two-timing him with Shinwoo.*

I had always made my stance clear by rejecting his confessions.

If it was wrong not to tell Cha Dohwan I liked someone else, then this was truly unfair. How could I have told him when I didn’t even know I liked Shinwoo myself?

“Ryu Saan, I didn’t know you were this kind of woman. You’re really something else. Was it fun, playing with me?”

I couldn’t stand the words he spat out. Above all, it was absurd how he was playing the victim.

Who was the one that used me to achieve their own goals?

I put down my chopsticks and replied calmly.

“I have never played with you, Cha Dohwan, nor have I deceived you. I understand you might have some misunderstanding, but—”

“A misunderstanding? A misunderstanding? Think about how you’ve acted toward me. What man wouldn’t get the wrong idea!”

We had a meal about once a month and were drinking buddies two or three times a year… Was that so wrong?

It was getting to the point where even I was confused. I started to wonder if I really had acted in a misleading way.

Cha Dohwan threw the tent to the ground and stormed away.

And with that, my relationship with Cha Dohwan was ruined.

I didn’t regret it one bit. I had no desire to be close to the man who had used Shinwoo.

“What the hell is his problem?”

Shinwoo snarled beside me. I thought so too, but…

“Shinwoo, watch your language.”

“…Alright.”

“I’ve lost my appetite. Let’s stop eating and get to bed early. And it would be better to set up another tent. We’re not the only ones here.”

“…”

“Hm?”

“Right, I’m not confident I could restrain myself either… Okay. I’ll set up another one.”

The number of tents grew to two.

We washed up amicably and went into our respective tents.

I closed my eyes and listened.

Because we’d set up the tents right next to each other, I could hear Shinwoo moving around.

The sound of a watch being unclasped. A rustle as he shifted. A sigh, and then a murmur.

“I can’t take it. You’re too close…”

What was?

The question was buried under a wave of drowsiness and vanished somewhere.

The first day in the dungeon came to an end.