Before leaving, the three informed Do Deungsoo and Alec that they would be back by the next morning. Both were aware that Hwashim possessed the Gaia skill, and after hearing a rough explanation, they told them to contact the guild chat if anything happened. Though Hong Euiyoon, Soo Jaehee, and Park Soobin tried to follow, Kwon Jihan's cold glare quickly sent them away.
After passing several broken pillars and collapsed statues on the first underground floor of the temple, they walked for about thirty minutes before Hwashim suddenly stopped.
"There it is."
Yoon Seo's eyes widened as he followed Hwashim's gaze.
What they saw was surprising—a pair of old shoes, neatly placed against the temple wall.
Yoon Seo immediately recognized the owner of those worn and tattered shoes.
"Lee Domin…."
Why were Lee Domin's shoes here?
Yoon Seo had suspected that something related to Lee Domin might appear because of the story's name, but shoes?
The fact that an item from ten years ago remained in a dungeon that had been cleared and disappeared, or that something belonging to someone who had died in the third terrain was now here, was astonishing.
While Yoon Seo stood frozen in shock, Kwon Jihan quickly ran over and, without any hesitation, picked up the shoes.
"These are really Lee Domin's shoes?"
"Are you crazy? What if that's a trap, and you just pick it up like that?"
Yoon Seo shouted in alarm, prompting Kwon Jihan to quickly place the shoes back on the ground.
"They didn't look like a trap to me."
"Be more careful."
[The God of Life is worried that you worry too much.]
Ironically, it was the God of Life who was the most worried.
Hwashim, Yoon Seo, and Kwon Jihan stood around the shoes, unsure of what to do next.
Suddenly, a small white bird fluttered down, tilting its head curiously at the familiar shoes as if it recognized something. However, after failing to figure out what it was, the bird returned to Kwon Jihan's side.
Hwashim waved his hand in front of him and spoke.
"I can see the light coming from this item. There's also a message.
"Lee Domin died in the maze zone, so why is it here?"
"That, I don't know. But once the story is released, your manipulated memories will return, and then you'll understand."
"…"
"Shall I release it right now?"
Yoon Seo was about to respond but hesitated.
'What if the holder of
Why did that thought surface now?
[The God of Death clicks their tongue, saying you worry too much.]
Right. If you can't trust the 'Chosen One,' who else can you trust in this world? Distrusting someone chosen by Gaia is a waste of energy.
"Yes, please do it now."
"Wait."
This time, Kwon Jihan interrupted. With a serious expression, he pulled a recliner out of his subspace and grabbed a cushion and a blanket.
"Hyung, sit down."
"…"
"If you pass out from shock again, I might go berserk."
Yoon Seo complied and sat down, though he was planning to do so even without Kwon Jihan's sly threat. Once seated, Kwon Jihan placed the blanket over Yoon Seo's lap and handed him the cushion.
"Are you ready?"
Yoon Seo nodded.
Hwashim reached out his hand toward Yoon Seo.
['Hwashim' uses the skill
A white light radiated from Hwashim's hand, flowing into Yoon Seo's mind. There was no sensation or warmth.
['Hwashim' has lifted the memory manipulation applied to you.]
As Yoon Seo gripped the armrest of the chair, Kwon Jihan grasped Yoon Seo's hand in response. Their fingers intertwined.
[Deleted memories are being restored.]
[The God of Life is worried.]
[The God of Death quietly watches.]
[The Watcher wishes that you won't be hurt…]
Messages poured in one after another…
And the forgotten memories began to return.
Yoon Seo closed his eyes.
***
Lee Domin was already on edge from the swamp zone. He had developed an aggressive disposition due to his ongoing mana depletion, which was directed not only at others but also at himself, so someone always had to be by his side.
'We're all going to die.'
'We're going to die anyway.'
'The world is doomed.'
'We shouldn't have come in here.'
'I shouldn't have brought you all in.'
Lee Domin kept speaking only of despair, sorrow, and blame until eventually…
'I won't use
It reached an extreme point where he refused to use
'Whether I use it or not, we're all going to die anyway.'
'I don't want to suffer from mana depletion. I won't do it anymore.'
'I don't want to. Don't force me!'
This wasn't the tantrum of a child. It was truly a survival instinct… rejecting the use of the skill out of fear that he might die from it.
However, this rejection only occurred after he had already used
Lee Domin's condition slightly improved when he was with his friend Seo Chaeyoon and the person he relied on, Lee Kangjin. Seo Chaeyoon and Lee Kangjin took turns handling the emotions he unleashed, but eventually, only Lee Kangjin was left to support him. This was because Seo Chaeyoon also started to fall silent and frequently had a clouded look in his eyes as his mana depletion became more frequent.
All of the Revengers felt guilty for placing such heavy burdens on the two youngest members. The reality where the young boys' minds were breaking down in real-time, and yet they couldn't stop it—if anything, they had to push them harder. It was a difficult time for everyone.
At that point, they were still wandering the maze zone, unable to find even a single boss. The Revengers had no choice but to split into teams.
Seo Chaeyoon had to search the maze inside the cave, while Lee Domin, who was assigned to a relatively safer field, became separated from him for the first time since they had entered the Great Dungeon.
Lee Domin was grouped with Lee Kangjin, Hughes, and several A-rank hunters.
At the time, Lee Domin was using
However, after clearing out the man-eating vines and monsters of the mountain range and taking a brief rest, Lee Domin suddenly called for Lee Kangjin.
"Kangjin hyung."
"Hm?"
Lee Kangjin, who had been wiping the blood from his sword on the ground, lifted his head.
"I'm not going to use
"What?"
"It's meaningless."
With an expressionless face, Lee Domin made the declaration and deactivated the skill.
Lee Kangjin and the others knew that Lee Domin still had 40% of his mana left, so they were confused and their expressions hardened.
"Domin, what do you mean it's meaningless?"
"It's pointless to struggle like this. We're just exhausting ourselves and wasting time. In the end, we're going to fail this raid, and we're all going to die here anyway."
"Domin… are you sure your mana isn't-."
"I have 40% left. I'm fine."
Lee Domin licked his dry lips and stood up. In his hand, a dark red sphere began to form. It was only then that the Revengers realized how serious the situation had become.
"Lee Domin!"
"Domin, what's wrong!"
"Hyungs, noonas, it's fine. Calm down. I'll make sure we don't waste any more meaningless time."
"Lee Domin, calm down yourself! Don't waste your mana on that skill!"
"Why not? I have to stop time, don't I?"
"Domin."
"I don't want to anymore. It's too hard. I don't want to go into mana depletion again…."
Lee Domin's face twisted in pain. His voice was disturbingly low.
"If I don't use
"Of course! Without your skill, we're all finished! Everyone out there, waiting for us to come out, all 6 billion people will be dead!"
"Ah…."
At one of the Revengers' outbursts, Lee Domin shook his head from side to side as if trying to shake something off.
"Yeah…. Everyone will die. But I can't help it…. I don't want to go through mana depletion anymore…."
"I understand what you're saying. Domin, just calm down for now. Turn off that skill and sit here for a while. I'm sorry. Let's talk, okay?"
Lee Kangjin spoke in a soothing tone, though his mind was racing. As he tightened his grip on the sword he had been wiping clean, he thought carefully.
Lee Domin was an S-rank hunter, while the rest, including himself, were from A-rank to C-rank. Could they even manage to subdue him? Was there any way to send a signal to Seo Chaeyoon from here?
"I just sent a telepathic message to Seo Chaeyoon. He's in the middle of a battle, but he'll come as soon as it's over."
Ah, thankfully Hughes Sairo was present. Hughes was the possessor of
Since Seo Chaeyoon possessed
All they needed to do was buy time until Chaeyoon arrived.
While verbally soothing Lee Domin, Lee Kangjin was devising a plan to subdue him.
But any strategies forming in his mind were useless.
Because Lee Domin had already made up his mind.
"I'll put an end to your suffering, hyungs and noonas."
The dark red sphere in Lee Domin's hand shot into the abdomen of the Revenger who had just shouted about the death of 6 billion people.
The person didn't even have time to scream. A hole pierced straight through the center of their body, and they collapsed backward. No healing skill could help; it was instant death.