Chapter 40
Chapter 40. Oppa, I Heard All of That
‘Just how much time did I spend asleep?’
Letting out an extensive yawn, I reached over to the nightstand to check the screen of my handset.
The digital display showed it was already past eleven in the morning.
Given that I had fallen asleep around ten o’clock the previous evening, I had remained knocked out for practically thirteen consecutive hours.
Even with that enormous stretch of slumber, a heavy sluggishness still weighed on my limbs, suggesting that the strain of forcing Dragon Tongue had triggered far more severe repercussions than I had originally anticipated.
Leaving the clock display behind, I scrolled through my notifications.
Predictably, the screen was flooded with unanswered phone calls and accumulated unread texts.
That was entirely natural, considering I had been completely out of commission for three whole days.
Only yesterday, my physical exhaustion was so acute that contacting anyone was out of the question, and the handset’s battery had run down completely anyway, making it impossible to respond even if the urge had struck me.
Under ordinary circumstances, the very first thing I would do with my morning was ring Sia for a warm, cheerful chat.
Even so, if I truly wanted to give her my undivided presence without lingering distractions, wrapping up my remaining obligations first was the wiser course.
With that in mind, I dialed Taeseong, who had taken charge of our squad during the Garden of Dragon Swords raid.
The dial tone barely had time to sound before the line clicked open on his end.
[Minjun! Where on earth have you been without picking up your phone?!]
Though our acquaintance had begun only that very day, my bizarre conduct right before vanishing without a single word of notice had naturally driven him half out of his mind with worry. A sharp edge of irritation colored his words, but beneath the bluster lay an obvious sense of profound relief.
Offering sincere apologies, I offered an explanation for why I had fallen out of touch.
Obviously, revealing the truth about Rokan was impossible, so I fabricated a plausible account by blending factual details with convenient fiction.
I claimed that instead of checking into a medical facility, I sought specialized treatment from an acquaintance who was an accomplished healer, only to remain in an unconscious stupor straight through the recovery process, rendering me unable to contact anybody.
As my explanation concluded, Taeseong seemed fully persuaded.
[So that was the situation. Are you on the mend now?]
“Yes. A few additional days of bed rest should have me back on my feet.”
[I’m genuinely glad to hear that.]
While none of the crisis was fundamentally under my control, a lingering pang of guilt tugged at me for putting everyone through such worry.
More pressing, however, was the condition of the remaining crew.
My state of utter disarray upon exiting the Gate had prevented me from assessing how the other hunters fared.
“How did the rest of the squad hold up, Taeseong?”
[We managed, more or less…]
In response to my question about the party members, Taeseong noted that the vast majority were dealing with nothing worse than sheer exhaustion from severe fatigue alongside scattered, superficial wounds.
Given the staggering catastrophe that unfolded within the Gate, our collective casualties were remarkably mild, prompting a silent breath of relief to slip from my chest.
Having checked on their safety, I turned to the matters I genuinely wanted answers to, transitioning straight to the core topic.
“Taeseong, what went down while I was separated from you guys?”
[It was an absolute nightmare.]
The mere recollection of the ordeal seemed to dry his throat, as he paused to take a noticeable gulp of air before continuing his recap.
After the unanticipated disruption suddenly banished me to a detached pocket of space away from the squad, an endless tide of spectral entities began surging across the distance toward them shortly thereafter.
These entities bore a striking resemblance to the Sword Wraiths spotted outside the mausoleum, yet, like the rest of the monstrosities deep inside, they radiated a sickening, corrupted presence, and their numbers were staggering.
The expedition team found itself at a crushing disadvantage regarding combat prowess and elemental compatibility alike.
Taeseong and the rest had recognized almost immediately that total annihilation would occur within minutes.
[We were simply clenching our teeth and fighting for survival when the gateway to the outside abruptly manifested out of nowhere. We had zero idea what triggered its arrival, but to be candid, who cared about the mechanics? The single priority was stepping through alive.]
Following that miracle, crossing out of the Gate proved astonishingly painless, leading them right into me on the other side since I had crossed over beforehand.
That encompassed the entirety of the incident from their vantage point.
Yet, as the summary registered in my head, a glaring oddity stood out.
“So you’re saying the clearance requirement was never announced to the group, right until the finish?”
[Not at all. That remains the most baffling riddle of the entire run. Conquering a Dungeon Gate without ever identifying the underlying victory parameter isn’t something that happens, is it?]
“Definitely not.”
The circumstance was completely perplexing, yet a quiet sense of comfort settled over me at the same time.
It confirmed that the rest of the world remained completely in the dark regarding Dragon Tongue.
Right then, Taeseong hit me with the very inquiry I hoped to sidestep.
[Minjun, is there any possibility you figured out what the clearance parameter was?]
“Excuse me?”
The question caught me off guard, almost as if he had pierced through my mental shields directly into my secret.
[I couldn’t help but wonder if the victory condition was somehow tied to your actions.]
Reflecting on the mission, nearly every abnormal occurrence inside the Dungeon seemed centered on my presence, making it natural for anyone to view me with suspicion. Had this conversation taken place face-to-face rather than over a telephone line, the tension on my face would have exposed me on the spot.
“I… genuinely haven’t the faintest idea. To tell the truth, I assumed the rest of you were fully aware of the objective and that I was the lone straggler out of the loop.”
This was precisely the kind of scenario where possessing the answer required feigning total ignorance.
Broadcasting the existence of Dragon Tongue to the public promised nothing but trouble.
I could not speak with certainty for Sia, but Rokan would never permit Dragon Tongue to be paraded openly before the masses.
[In that case, are you able to walk me through what you went through during that missing hour?]
The duration he mentioned froze my train of thought entirely.
‘A single hour?’
The stretch of time I spent stranded in that abyssal space had felt like at least twelve continuous hours, and that was by the most conservative estimation possible.
Truthfully, I wouldn’t have been astonished if the subjective passage of time had spanned far longer than that.
There was simply no logical way the entire sequence of events I endured could have occurred within sixty short minutes.
‘This defies reason.’
That anomaly would have to be brought directly to Rokan when we spoke later.
[…Minjun, you still there?]
My wandering thoughts had caused me to leave his question hanging in silence.
“Ah, my apologies.”
Just as I had done moments ago, another fabrication was necessary to settle Taeseong’s curiosity.
The real challenge was determining what narrative might actually sound plausible to him.
Spinning an explanation on the fly, I finally responded.
“To be perfectly frank… by the moment my consciousness cleared, I was already standing outside the threshold of the Gate. Something undeniable occurred in there, but my memory is completely foggy. I couldn’t tell you what transpired within that chamber; all I know is that the moment I found my footing outside, my stamina was utterly depleted and I was on the brink of blacking out.”
Even as the words left my mouth, it struck me as an exceedingly flimsy cover story.
Were I standing in Taeseong’s shoes, deep skepticism would be my first reaction.
Conveniently claiming total amnesia felt like the textbook maneuver of an offender trying to evade responsibility.
[Well, given the environment, I suppose that isn’t out of the realm of possibility.]
Startlingly enough, Taeseong took the explanation without putting up any resistance.
Perhaps he harbored doubts about my claims of memory loss but elected not to interrogate me further out of courtesy.
Or it might be that the Gate had unleashed such an overwhelming cascade of impossible phenomena that he genuinely deemed such mental lapses entirely plausible.
Whatever his true rationale, I exhaled quietly, relieved to be off the hook.
[At any rate, I’ll be in touch before long. And should any pieces of your recollection resurface between now and then, be certain to update us.]
“Without fail.”
With the pressing matters finally concluded, the moment to reach out to Sia had finally arrived.
Instead of grabbing my regular handset, I picked up the dedicated terminal that Rokan had arranged for me.
The rationale was straightforward: this particular unit was wired directly to the expansive display mounted across the room.
The dialing tone had barely finished echoing before Sia’s radiant face filled the screen.
[A pleasant morning to you, Oppa! How are things on your end today? Are you recovering your strength?]
Given that our conversation was beginning somewhat later than usual, Sia was no longer in nightwear.
She had changed into a cozy hooded sweatshirt paired with comfortable fleece bottoms.
Upon closer inspection, the oversized sweater she sported seemed to be an old item I had gifted to her long ago.
It seemed the apparel was comfortable enough that it had become a staple of her daily leisure wear.
“Indeed. It’s thanks to your care. With just a bit more downtime, I should be fully restored.”
[Please heal up quickly, Oppa. Hmph. My heart already aches from missing you so desperately. I feel like my patience is going to run completely dry waiting like this.]
Observing me confined to my bed clearly left her feeling downcast, prompting Sia to pout with affectionate frustration.
Typically, even if limited to once every seven days, Sia and I were able to share moments in each other’s physical presence.
Yet Rokan, prioritizing absolute caution to prevent any complications, had strictly barred any direct visits between us throughout this entire week.
Inevitably, the distance only amplified the fierce desire both Sia and I harbored to be together.
“What were you keeping busy with, Sia?”
Her casual attire made it plain that she was not preparing for an excursion outdoors.
[Oh, I was actually preparing a little something.]
“Preparing what?”
Sia tapped her index finger over her parted lips, giving me a playful, enchanting wink.
A sudden instinct told me she was fashioning a surprise token intended for me.
Knowing how open Sia usually was, she would have had zero reason to label it an absolute secret unless it was meant as a treat.
Seeing that, I decided against prying any further.
[I whipped up some fresh abalone porridge specifically for you, Oppa!]
She vanished from the screen’s field of view for a brief second before stepping back with a neatly secured container brimmed with porridge.
[I’m transporting it to your side right this second!]
“Thank you, Sia. I’ll make sure to savor every bite.”
The very second the statement parted from her mouth, the exact vessel resting in Sia’s hands materialized directly into my lap, demonstrating the jaw-dropping convenience that sorcery afforded. Bridging the immense gap from the far-off shores of Jeju Island all the way to Rokan’s domain nestled in Taebaek took less than a single heartbeat.
I adjusted a portable tray over the bed covers and began partaking in the savory porridge Sia had prepared.
Mentioning that her own lunch hour had arrived, Sia gathered her own meal to keep me company.
Unsurprisingly, her choice of meal turned out to be spicy tteokbokki, a selection that matched her preferences to a tee.
Maintaining our gaze across the visual feed, we chatted amiably while working through our meals.
We meandered through everyday pleasantries first before shifting into the precise narrative I had already laid bare to Rokan: the sequence of events that played out inside the Garden of Dragon Swords.
Midway through recounting the Dungeon’s perils, a sudden curiosity sparked in my thoughts.
“Sia, a thought just crossed my mind. Throughout the recorded history of your home realm, did an emperor named Minos ever exist?”
[Hmm, that doesn’t ring an immediate bell. Allow me a moment to reflect.]
Sia tilted her head to the side, contemplating my inquiry.
[My grasp of the continent’s chronicles stretching beyond three millennia in the past is rather sparse. But restricting the scope to roughly the previous three thousand years, while a handful of individuals bore the moniker Minos, I don’t believe any of them correspond to the figure you’re describing.]
Scouring her mental archives with care, Sia determined that no obvious correlation existed.
It remained possible that Minos belonged to an alternate realm distinct from Sia’s origins, or perhaps his era belonged to an epoch so profoundly ancient that it was lost to time.
I had harbored hopes of unearthing a thread to unravel the enigmas shrouding the Gate, making the non-answer somewhat disheartening.
“What about rulers across past eras who commanded the power of Dragon Tongue?”
[There were indeed a select few. What prompts the inquiry? Are you looking for insight?]
“That’s right. Gaining insight into their experiences might offer guidance for my path forward.”
Much like the revelations surrounding Minos, studying the journeys of past figures who wielded draconic strength might provide meaningful lessons for my own progression.
Sia proceeded to outline the recorded lives of several monarchs who had commanded draconic energies.
Though they represented distinct personas from differing periods, the overarching trajectories of their destinies mirrored one another with uncanny precision.
Upon tapping into this newfound might, each experienced an astronomical surge in martial capability, cementing their names across history as supreme sovereigns and champions of the realm, charting a course that eerily echoed Minos’s legacy.
“Tell me then, among those rulers, did anyone try to transcend merely wielding draconic abilities and attempt to actually transform into a dragon?”
[Huh? I don’t believe so. Had someone dared to take such a leap…]
Her speech trailed off abruptly, her gaze darting toward me with sudden self-awareness.
It took no genius to recognize from her shifting demeanor that she was withholding a piece of the truth.
[Forget I spoke. It’s of no consequence.]
“If such a person had genuinely attempted it, what do you imagine would have been their fate?”
When I gently insisted, Sia shifted her gaze thoughtfully upward before finally voicing her perspective.
[Nothing miraculous, really. My guess is that their natural lifespan would have been cut drastically short. Your situation is entirely unique since you were endowed with an extraordinary innate gift, not to mention having both myself and Grandpa supervising your growth. Those past mortals enjoyed no such privileges. Had they pursued such cultivation blindly without comprehension, they inevitably would have strayed onto a corrupted path, breaking their own physical vessels in the process.]
Her explanation bore an unmistakable resemblance to the catastrophic mana backlash that had ultimately claimed Minos.
Looking at it from the opposite perspective, had Minos received direct instruction from ancient dragons, he might very well have circumvented the tragic destruction wrought by unchecked mana recoil.
From that standpoint, my circumstances shielded me from that catastrophic pitfall.
Even so, I remained convinced Sia would not have shown such hesitation had her underlying thought been that straightforward.
A faint sense of disquiet lingered in the back of my mind, yet I chose to let the matter rest rather than interrogating her further.
Our dialogue flowed naturally back toward my upcoming training regimens, additional nuances regarding the Gate, and prospects for our forthcoming outing together.
As expected, I took great care to skirt around any subjects that might upset Sia’s mood, particularly the ruined Dragon Bone Sword.
Addressing that dilemma could wait until I received a clear assessment from Rokan later down the road.
Just as our meal approached its conclusion amidst warm banter, my mother’s name illuminated the other phone.
“Sia, please hold on for just a moment. My mother is ringing in.”
[Go ahead.]
Securing her assent, I opened the incoming line from my mother.
“Yes, Mom?”
[Minjun, how have you been holding up?]
“I’m doing well.”
[Sia dropped by our home a few days back. When you have time next, make sure to accompany her on a visit.]
It seemed she simply felt like checking in on her son’s well-being after some time apart.
Judging by her relaxed cadence, it was evident she remained entirely unaware of the perilous crisis that had unfolded within the Dungeon.
Sharing that harrowing ordeal would serve no purpose anyway, especially since my ailment was merely profound unconsciousness rather than a fatal physical trauma.
Sia had undoubtedly reasoned that burdening my parents with unwarranted anxiety was entirely unnecessary.
Following a brief exchange regarding Sia’s house visit and routine family updates, my mother smoothly pivoted the subject.
[On another note, Minjun, do you still recall Yuna from your childhood days? The young lady who shared child modeling assignments with you back then. Go Yuna.]
“Ah… yes. She definitely comes to mind.”
Why on earth was Yuna noona entering the conversation out of the blue?
Ever since accepting her business card during our chance encounter, I hadn’t made a single attempt to get in touch with Yuna.
Neither of us had even swapped personal phone numbers, making direct outreach an impractical prospect anyway.
[Yuna’s mother rang me up for the first time in ages. Yuna has taken up residence in Korea for business, and her mother apparently journeyed over to spend time with her. It was genuinely delightful reconnecting with her after all these years.]
As my mother continued her recollection, an ominous premonition began tightening in my chest.
Straining to keep my cadence smooth, I concealed any hint of panic.
“Is that so? I was under the impression their entire household had relocated permanently to the United States.”
[The rest of the family remains based overseas, but Yuna traveled back to Korea unaccompanied to oversee a corporate venture. Her mother mentioned that you and Yuna crossed paths not too long ago?]
“That’s true.”
[Since fate brought you two back into contact, Yuna’s mother proposed that the four of us—you, Yuna, her mother, and myself—gather around a table for a nice meal together. How does that sound to you?]
“Well, the thing is…”
Before any polite rejection could leave my mouth, my mother pressed forward.
[Her mother insisted on how eager she is to see your face again. Surely you recall how fond of you she was during your younger years? Thinking about it now makes me quite curious about the woman Yuna has grown into as well. So tell me, Minjun, when does your schedule open up?]
If circumstances allowed, declining the offer was the only sane option given the delicate friction surrounding Yuna noona and Sia, yet the proposition had cornered me into an agonizing bind.
Giving my consent would undoubtedly ignite Sia’s fiery jealousy.
Declining outright would leave me feeling like a terrible son toward my mother.
Furthermore, fond memories of how warmly Yuna noona’s mother had treated me throughout my childhood made shutting the door on her hospitality feel intensely ungrateful.
Perhaps the safest maneuver was deferring the response, telling my mother I needed to review my schedule before committing. Just as that compromise formed, an icy realization struck me with absolute dread: had I remembered to silence the microphone on the terminal connected to Sia before taking this secondary call?
‘…I left it live.’
My original intention had been to mute the feed so Sia wouldn’t be subjected to the annoyance of overhearing an unrelated dialogue.
However, juggling two separate devices simultaneously while handling an active call was not second nature to me, and the critical step had slipped my mind entirely.
‘Even so, the audio couldn’t possibly carry over clearly enough for her to decipher my mother’s voice.’
The speaker function had remained inactive, which meant Sia had no realistic way of picking up the opposing side of the dialogue.
Or so I desperately told myself, until my eyes traveled toward the monitor and locked onto Sia staring back at me, her expression turned entirely grave and rigid.
Silently shaping my lips toward the camera, I mouthed, ‘You caught all of that?’
Without softening her stony expression in the slightest, Sia gave a slow, deliberate nod, causing my consciousness to plummet into sheer chaos.
Dad, if your spirit is watching over your son right now, please send down the correct answer.
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