# Chapter 83
After that, Dohyuk worried even when sleeping, wearing gloves and anxiously checking whether he was properly controlling his power. On days when he made a mistake and the gloves melted, he suffered from such severe nausea that he couldn’t even eat properly all day. He could barely breathe from the anxiety that someone might discover he was a monster wearing a human disguise. Dohyuk had no choice but to obsessively focus on controlling his ability.
One of the graduation requirements at the Esper Training Center is scoring 80 or higher on the ability control exam. Dohyuk had already scored 100 before even enrolling in the center. Yet he still couldn’t remove his gloves. The vision of others rotting helplessly upon contact with him suffocated him, making his gloves—unmarred and looking the same as always—function like a respirator for Dohyuk.
Even when the compulsions and anxieties of his childhood faded with time, the gloves remained as a habit for Dohyuk.
And now…
Dohyuk pressed the back of his neck lightly, thinking for some reason that he wanted to distance himself from Junseo.
“Ah, just… I felt a bit stifled.”
How could he say that his desire to touch Junseo was so strong that the leather felt like a massive barrier? He thought it was fortunate that it was Jihun who had asked. If it had been Seungmin, he would have made things more awkward by saying, “You’ve been wearing them day and night for years, and suddenly now?”
But unlike Jihun, who had quietly accepted the explanation, Junseo grasped Dohyuk’s bare hand as if seizing what was his, making Dohyuk feel that his immature true feelings had been exposed. It was complicated in many ways.
By now, Sangjun, who had finished positioning the additional support team dispatched from the Chuncheon branch, returned to where the assault team was waiting. Soon they started walking toward the dungeon entrance following Sangjun. It was only about 500 meters away from the waiting point, so they could arrive quickly.
The entrance to the Underground Nation dungeon was distinctly different from other dungeon entrances. Beneath a house-sized boulder that used to be called the Rocking Stone, a massive 5-meter-wide hole like a sinkhole overwhelmed onlookers. No matter how much one peered into the pitch-black hole, it was impossible to gauge what was inside. Meanwhile, Junseo whispered to Dohyuk, “Hyung, have you read ‘Alice in Wonderland’?” His tone, as he added “It’s like the rabbit hole,” still lacked any tension whatsoever.
‘It’s not such a small, cute-sounding burrow.’
Well, Junseo hadn’t shown any nervousness even the first time he entered a dungeon. While Dohyuk inwardly objected, he lightly poked Junseo’s cheek, thinking there was no point in trying to scare him. The soft cheek yielded obediently to his touch. It was like freshly whipped cream.
With his cheek still poked by Dohyuk’s finger, Junseo smacked his lips playfully.
“I wonder if there’s a glass bottle labeled ‘Drink me.'”
“Why? Want to get smaller?”
“You’d like me to be a little smaller, wouldn’t you? You like cute things.”
His slick habit of answering questions with questions showed no sign of disappearing. Why this sudden concern about height? Junseo’s stream of consciousness was still a bit overwhelming to follow. Dohyuk reached out to easily stroke Junseo’s neat hair once, then sighed.
“Is that your worry before entering the dungeon? Don’t worry. You’re already cute.”
Right. What good would it do for a Guide to be tense? As long as Dohyuk didn’t die, Junseo wouldn’t be in any danger.
The forehead under his fingertips flinched, but Dohyuk, absorbed in his own resolve, didn’t notice.
At that moment, Sangjun, who had returned after circling the black hole, spoke up. It was almost time to enter. Junseo and Jihun also carefully put on their share of protective gear.
“I’ll assume everyone has checked the materials.”
Due to the nuclear energy within the Underground Nation dungeon, the labyrinth’s shape changes at regular intervals. Even if one was properly finding their way, there was a high possibility of suddenly becoming trapped or getting lost. Also, the labyrinth had lure traps that could summon multiple monsters. Of course, the monsters summoned by these traps were B-class or lower, not particularly high-grade, but non-combat ability users could be ambushed and needed to be careful. It was a dungeon requiring attention in many ways.
The Agwi’s nest was outside the maze, but beyond that, the space was separated so that ability users inside the maze couldn’t scan or track outside the maze. In the end, this meant they had to break through the maze first to reach the Agwi’s nest.
The one fortunate thing was that an Esper had discovered a strategy five years ago.
“Human sacrifice of a bride? Even my grandfather would reject such an old-fashioned strategy if he saw the report.”
“Yu Junseo, shut up.”
The Agwi, the Great Thief of the Underground Nation, is an S-class monster that devours humans like the Samchung. It is always suffering from hunger, greedily stuffing things into its mouth, with records still remaining of an Agwi devouring forty-five ordinary people in a single night. But the Agwi’s favorite prey was none other than people with specific qualities. It would be easier to understand if explained as responding to yin energy. Women, or people with constitutions slightly stronger in yin energy, fell into this category.
Fear was also a feast for the Agwi. Because of this, the Agwi’s hunting method was both unique and vicious. The Agwi would use its unique ability to control the most delicious human, leading them to its nest. After eating that person, it would then control the next most delicious human, luring them to its nest as well. All while enjoying the sight of the remaining humans trembling in fear.
The strategy that was first used involved using a real human as bait. Deliberately positioning the person most likely to interest the Agwi. A brave female Esper volunteered as bait, and she was fitted with a location tracker before entering the dungeon. By tracking this Esper as soon as the Agwi’s hunt began, they were able to hunt the Agwi before she was harmed and quickly stabilize the dungeon. Due to its great success, this strategy was adopted, and originally, one female Esper was assigned to teams dispatched to the Underground Nation.
Until that incident happened.
“A-class Esper Choi Minjung died during the mission. She stepped on a lure trap on her way to the Agwi’s nest and was attacked by six B-class monsters. Normally she could have survived easily, but she couldn’t even counter properly while being controlled.”
Those controlled by the Agwi lose all cognitive abilities. They come to view the controlling Agwi as the absolute master of their life and obey. They can’t think about anything other than heading toward the Agwi’s nest that calls them. In that state, if they receive an external attack, they can only die. This was the flaw in the strategy.
Originally, it was the rule among monsters that lesser monsters don’t touch the Agwi’s prey, but Minjung had stepped on a trap in the labyrinth and was attacked.
After losing a valuable Esper so meaninglessly, the headquarters found a new strategy.
“They say names have power, right?”
What Sangjun pulled out was an unremarkable wooden doll about the size of his elbow. The wooden doll was wearing a pure white cotton jacket.
“Hey, Yu Junseo. Come here.”
“Is this the ‘bride’? Don’t hurt me. I don’t like pain.”
“Just a few drops should be enough, why are you being so dramatic? If you don’t stay still, I’ll cut you.”
Having already read the report, Junseo knew what Sangjun wanted and halfheartedly extended his hand. Just as Sangjun was about to prick Junseo’s fingertip with a thin needle made of wind, something happened.
Bright red blood dripped onto the cotton jacket of the wooden doll, staining it. Sangjun looked at Dohyuk, who maintained his usual neat expression, with an exasperated face. Sangjun’s gaze moved down to Dohyuk’s hand gripping the blade of a dagger.
“Esper Choi Dohyuk!”
Jihun shouted in alarm, and even Minseok beside him had a startled expression.
“Seriously. You know a Guide’s blood only needs at most a teaspoonful, right?”
This wooden doll was a specially made amplifier designed to mimic the yin energy that the Agwi likes. A kind of bait. Human flesh or blood was needed in the process of making the bait look like a real person, and a Guide’s blood was much more effective than an Esper’s. In other words, when using an Esper’s blood, a much larger amount was needed.
Sangjun put his hand to his forehead and groaned. For something that would not have required even 20mL of Junseo’s blood, Dohyuk had spilled almost 200mL of his own.
Amid all this, the unperturbed Dohyuk raised his blood-soaked finger and carved the Chinese characters for “bride” (新婦) on the wooden doll’s head. Only after confirming that the doll’s eyes had turned deep blue did Dohyuk belatedly respond to Sangjun’s words.
“That can’t be right. It needs a name too, doesn’t it? This way is more convenient. This kind of wound will heal within 15 minutes.”
