# Chapter 87
“Energy?”
Junseo wanted nothing more than to thoroughly examine the gap inside Dohyuk that was clearly reopening at an accelerated rate. But seeing Dohyuk’s embarrassed face obviously trying to change the subject, he decided to wait a little for the complicated situation to resolve. Junseo also much preferred concentrating on guiding in a quiet place, step by step.
“You know, monsters and ability users alike have their own unique energy.”
Sangjun, who was nearby, joined the conversation.
“What are you talking about? That’s something I’ve never heard before.”
“You mean Espers can’t feel that sort of thing?”
When Junseo snapped back as if annoyed, Dohyuk calmly said:
“Hmm… This is also my first time hearing about it. Guide Yu Junseo.”
“Is that so? If Esper Choi Dohyuk says that, then perhaps I’m just particularly sensitive.”
Sangjun, who had been looking at Junseo’s mild response with a bewildered face, suddenly frowned as if something had occurred to him.
“You’ve been hiding this talent all along? While pretending you’ve got nothing and just lazing around?”
“I can only vaguely sense it when I’m this close anyway.”
Junseo pointed to the wooden doll, which was still standing there without any movement as if observing their group. It was barely a meter away from them.
“It’s a talent with absolutely no fucking use, I’ll give you that.”
“…Esper Ji Sangjun.”
“What, it’s not wrong… Why are you looking at me like I’m trash again? I keep telling you he’s not the kind of person who gets hurt by that sort of thing. I really have many grievances with Esper Choi Dohyuk too…”
While Junseo actually had an unaffected expression, Sangjun muttered, “This is so unfair,” after Dohyuk gave him a pointed look.
At that moment, the head of the wooden doll, which had been silently observing the group from every angle, suddenly rotated and faced Jihun, who was behind it. Its deep blue eyes flashed in the darkness.
“Ah! It’s looking at me now, isn’t it? So what do we do?”
Jihun urged Sangjun in a voice that suggested he might die from the creepiness. But this was an anomaly even Sangjun, who had stabilized countless labyrinth-type dungeons, had never experienced.
The reaction was quick, but the departure was slow. The wooden doll was clearly being controlled by the Agwi but remained stationary near the group.
Normally, a controlled wooden doll would immediately walk toward the Agwi’s nest. Was it waiting for something?
Despite trying to hypothesize various scenarios, it was impossible to know. What Sangjun had learned throughout his numerous missions was that in times like these, it was important to remain calm and observe.
“For now, we’ll wait until the wooden doll starts moving properly.”
How much time had passed since then? It probably wasn’t very long.
“It’s moving now! Looks like it’s departing!”
True to Minseok’s words, the wooden doll, which had been standing still with only its head rotating in different directions, finally started to move its feet.
Sangjun quickly signaled to the party.
“The Agwi is a monster with excellent senses! It detects not only human scent but also yin and yang energies to select its prey. Fortunately, the bait has taken properly, so we’ll wait, and when the bait is far enough away, we’ll track it while maintaining enough distance that the Agwi’s senses can’t reach us.”
While responding to Sangjun’s instructions, Dohyuk stared intently at the wooden doll shuffling away. Though they had properly thrown the bait to the Agwi, and the Agwi had properly responded, what was this uneasiness rising from an unknown source?
Dohyuk couldn’t pinpoint why he felt so anxious. A premonition that they shouldn’t let it disappear like this stabbed at his fingertips. But Dohyuk had no grounds to throw cold water on a situation that was proceeding smoothly.
He was just watching helplessly as the wooden doll disappeared. To be precise, it was just as the wooden doll had chosen one of the pitch-black forks in the road and was beginning to disappear beyond it.
With a rumbling sound, something collapsed from far away, violently tearing through the silence. This time, the sound was loud enough for even Guides to hear clearly.
“Esper Ji Sangjun, there, there the wall…!”
“Ahh!”
Jihun’s face was full of bewilderment, and Minseok was so startled he nearly collapsed into a sitting position.
Even Dohyuk couldn’t believe his eyes. The walls that had been firmly blocking their path like barriers began to move, emitting an unpleasant noise. This was a precursor to the maze changing. The structure of the maze was changing before even a day had passed. Moreover, the group didn’t even know where the safe zone was.
When conducting long-term missions in labyrinth-type dungeons, the first priority was understanding the cycle of the maze’s changes, and the second was identifying the maze’s safe zones. If one was outside a safe zone when the structure changed, they would likely be crushed to death or seriously injured by rapidly moving structures.
Since the plan was to exit the dungeon before the maze changed, Sangjun had skipped the process of searching for a safe zone to save time. Naturally, the point where they were standing was not a safe zone.
Minseok, who hadn’t properly grasped the current situation, blankly stared at the stone walls moving and raising dust.
“They said it would take at least five days for the structure to change, so why on earth…”
Before Minseok could finish speaking.
Dohyuk’s eyes widened. A massive stone wall quickly protruded from the right. Toward Jihun, who was still frozen, biting his lips as if he didn’t understand what was happening.
His judgment was quick. Dohyuk pushed Jihun.
“Danger! Everyone, wake up and get out of the way!”
“Bang!”
In an instant, Jihun, who had been shoved, tumbled to the ground, and a large wall blocked the space between Dohyuk and Jihun. The sight of Sangjun raising his voice behind Jihun quickly disappeared behind the wall. There was no time to stand there in confusion, reflecting on the group that had suddenly been torn apart. That’s because a new stone wall had emerged, tearing through the ground they were standing on.
Dohyuk hurriedly reached out to Junseo, who was by his side. Just before Junseo could grasp Dohyuk’s hand, something pulled Junseo from the opposite direction, and their hands merely brushed past each other without interlocking.
Dohyuk couldn’t believe his eyes. The one who had pulled Junseo was the wooden doll, which should have been heading toward the Agwi’s nest!
“No! Junseo!”
“Boom!”
Having missed the timing to safely avoid the structure because of losing Junseo, Dohyuk barely escaped being crushed by violently throwing his body backward. Dust swirled above Dohyuk, who had rolled miserably on the ground.
When the flashlight he had been holding was crushed against the stone wall and shattered in an instant, the surroundings were suddenly dyed in pitch-black darkness.
[Everyone respond! This is the header, Esper Kim Minseok and Guide Kwon Jihun are here with me.]
[I repeat. Everyone respond! This is the header!]
Dohyuk couldn’t operate his radio despite Sangjun’s transmission.
“Junseo, Yu Junseo!”
He hadn’t caught him. The black eyes that had been staring at him were now nowhere to be seen. Because of the face that had disappeared beyond the stone wall, Dohyuk staggered as he rose to his feet. Eventually, he began to roughly pound on the stone wall that had swallowed Junseo into the other side. Even when he poured out his ability to pound on it, the massive wall remained unresponsive.
Again, with a rumbling sound, this time a stone wall was created from mid-air. Just before the rock was about to fall on Dohyuk, who was standing there in a daze, not even thinking of avoiding it.
“Are you crazy! Are you obsessed with dying?”
A hand grabbed Dohyuk by the scruff of his neck and pulled him roughly while muttering harshly.
Boom!
At the same time, a newly fallen structure right in front of Dohyuk’s nose raised a cloud of white dust.
“If Esper Choi Dohyuk dies, I’ll look ridiculous! I bet a lot on this.”
Jaesik, who had fallen tangled together with Dohyuk due to pulling him with such force, hissed irritably.
Dohyuk’s eyes were dry. Half-dazed by his empty hand, he had shown no reaction even as he rolled about in a mess, but now he finally stood up shakily. Had his eyes already adjusted to the darkness? Even in this dark place, Dohyuk could see how fiercely the face right in front of him was frowning.
At that moment, he didn’t know what came over him. With a feeling that something in his head had snapped, Dohyuk firmly grabbed Jaesik’s collar and pressed him down. It was such strong pressure that if Jaesik had been an ordinary person, his neck would have broken.
“Betting? What do you mean, explain properly.”
“What the hell! I save you and this is how you react!”
“Just answer me!”
Dohyuk pressed down on Jaesik’s neck with his other arm. Jaesik unconsciously held his breath, thinking that the look in Dohyuk’s eyes was exactly like the face of someone about to start hunting.
“I’ll ask one last time. Tell me what you were talking about with Junseo.”
Only then, for a moment, did he realize he had been frightened by the interrogation that awakened his dazed mind. Jaesik struggled with an expression full of contempt.
“Y-y-you crazy bastard!”
Just as Dohyuk was slowly blinking and clenching his fist at the sight of Jaesik cursing.
[Everyone respond! This is the header!]
When Dohyuk flinched at Sangjun’s voice drilling into his head through the in-ear radio, Jaesik immediately punched him in the abdomen. The impact sound was like bones being crushed, but Dohyuk only slightly frowned, and as if nothing had happened, he immediately pushed Jaesik away forcefully and operated his radio.
“This is Choi Dohyuk. I’m with Esper Seo Jaesik. No injuries.”
Jaesik, who had been grabbing his throttled throat and coughing, had a horrified expression.
[Esper Choi Dohyuk? Then where’s Yu Junseo?]
“He’s not here. Guide Yu Junseo, please respond if you can hear me.”
Dohyuk waited for Junseo’s radio response with a feeling of grasping at the slightest hope.
