The corridor had been empty for so long, that a thin layer of dust covered every surface within. Many of the rooms lining the corridor were laboratories. Beakers and glassware lined the walls in some rooms while others housed equipment and machinery to analyze foreign material.

Some of the rooms had been disturbed, cabinets of chemicals rummaged through. Jinyoung assumed it was the work of Seunghyo’s comrades, if not the man himself. Out of his own curiosity, Jinyoung opened a cabinet and found reinforced vials marked “cryogenic sample storage”.

Like everything in the north, the walls and floors were poured concrete. And, properly shielded from the elements, they could have lasted decades while keeping the inhabitants safe and warm.

And just like the other structures they’d passed through in the north, there were no answers to be found here either. Without Hana or Willow, Jinyoung felt strangely bare. The party had traveled together for so long now that without them, he felt defenseless. Yes, Seunghyo was here, but that strangely was no consolation.

Then again, being isolated with Seunghyo and away from Hana allowed for other opportunities.

“What happened between the two of you?”

They cleared the rooms in silence, making certain there were no surprises waiting for them. A task Seunghyo didn’t help with, but at the same time, he could see that the siblings could use some space away from each other..

“What do you mean?”

Jinyoung shot him an annoyed look.

Seunghyo sighed. “She took a job she shouldn’t have.”

Jinyoung stared at him. And after a minute had passed, he kept staring.

“That’s it?”

“Look, Jinyoung, I know you want to act like the big brother here, but you-”

Jinyoung held up a hand. “I don’t need your excuses. I need to know what happened.”

A silence passed between them. Seunghyo nodded.

“Okay, but not here.”

He motioned for Jinyoung to follow him as they cleared the rest of the corridor. About 50 meters further was the next gate-lock. Seunghyo could see it had been used, but the gate was, for the time being, shut. He needed to take it one step further.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Jinyoung watched as Seunghyo tapped in some keys and locked the gate in place. No one was getting in from the outside unless someone let them in.

“It was an Expedition quest,” Seunghyo said finally. “She was hired on to take some twenties down south to a new dungeon that had been discovered.”

Expedition quests weren’t uncommon, but they were certainly not for players in their twenties.

“Hana was level 42, I think. She’d gone through a few of these before, enough that other clans would pay a premium for it.”

Dungeons were dangerous, but they were also profitable. Monsters provided valuable materials while the dungeon itself could be home to rare minerals and resources like mana stones. So it was common for players and clans to take on expedition missions set up by corporate sponsors looking for their next gold mine.

Unlike Outbreak or Hunt quests, Expedition quests tasked players with mapping a dungeon in the search for resources rather than engaging monsters in battle. For that reason, Expedition quests are popular with support classes.

“Don’t Expedition missions have a level limit?” Jinyoung asked.

Seunghyo shook his head. “They’re supposed to be 35 or higher, but it’s a soft limit. Easily bypassed if you’ve got the gold to cover it.”

“And these ‘twenties’ had the gold to cover it?”

“The three of them and they gave us some song-and-dance about having finished the Academy with some spare gold. I told Hana not to take the job, but she’d done so many of these already…”

Seunghyo’s voice trailed off. The dungeon was a natural cave formation that, before the Break, had been part of an old temple. Pilgrimages were made year-round to the temple and the cave which housed a large statue deep within its depths.

He could still remember coming across his wife in its depth, covered in scores of cuts and bruises cradling the body of a young player.

Jinyoung was beginning to regret asking. “So, what happened?”

Hana’s voice rang through the corridor. “Two of them died.”

Seunghyo grimaced at the sound of her voice.

Unbeknownst to the two, Hana had slowly walked the length of the corridor before finally catching up to the two of them.

“I wondered where the two of you were off to, but I guess I should have known,” Hana spoke. “So, are there any more questions dear brother or would you rather ask my ex-husband?”

Jinyoung’s face betrayed his shame and he had no intention of answering, not that Hana had any intention of letting him.

“Let’s see, I took this quest which I shouldn’t have and as a result, two young players died. We were in over our heads, stretched our resources too far and thought we could handle more than we could. Does that sound familiar, oppa?” she asked pointedly.

“And then, once that was over, my dear husband left. A wife mired in depression didn’t quite fit with the adventurer’s life, isn’t that right?”

It was Seunghyo’s turn to look away. He grit his teeth and balled his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. He knew what he wanted to say and he knew what he should say. Two choices, clear as day. So he chose.

“Yes.”

Jinyoung looked at Seunghyo. And while he wanted to say something, he chose to stay silent.

“The only one who was there for me was dad. And if it weren’t for Johann…”

Hana let her voice trail off while her ex-husband and brother avoided her eyes.

“That isn’t why I came,” Hana said. “We need to talk, all of us.”