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While Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho walked down the battlefield, the Players showed their appreciation from all sides.

‘It’s been a long time since I felt this way.’

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since Seo Jun-Ho felt shy due to people praising him like this. Feeling slightly awkward, Seo Jun-Ho turned toward Mio, who was approaching him and said, “Great work, everyone. Especially Mio.”

“Yes.”

“You’re dual wielding?”

“Yes...”

Mio nodded with an expressionless face. She seemed heartless and indifferent on the outside, but her current expression meant that she was incredibly happy that Seo Jun-Ho noticed her new style.

“Hmm. By the way, isn’t that totally similar to a Gate?” Rahmadat muttered while scratching his chin.

Gilberto agreed with Rahmadat's opinion. “It looks about the same size as the Semey Gate.”

“What the heck? Does that mean the fiends have a hand in this?”

“That’s—we can’t tell until we go inside and check.”

No one knew where the Gate would lead those who were courageous enough to cross it. Everyone looked up at the Gate and remained.

“...I’ll cross first.”

Seo Jun-Ho expanded his senses and slowly crossed the Gate.

Upon crossing the Gate, a familiar and nostalgic sensation surrounded him.

‘What is this feeling?’

Seo Jun-Ho wondered if he had visited this place before.

‘...I don’t remember.’

Seo Jun-Ho was in front of an ordinary path inside an ordinary forest.

Soon, the rest of the Players crossed the Gate.

“Wow, the air here is refreshing.”

“But don’t you think this place feels familiar for some reason?”

“Hm, does it? Well, forests are pretty similar to each other, anyway.”

The Players seemed relaxed as they conversed. They felt like they were on vacation after being stuck inside a suffocating maze.

“Specter-nim. What do we do from now on?” asked Shin Sung-Hyun.

Seo Jun-Ho shook his head, “I did lead the battle earlier because I had to do so, but I think it would be best for the advance party to maintain the status quo.”

“...I see. I understand.”

The Players managed to survive the crisis under Seo Jun-Ho’s lead, but they were bound to inevitably develop a sense of antipathy toward him if he didn’t let go of the power.

‘There’s a reason why people will tell you to leave while you’re being applauded.’

“All right. I’ll pass that on to the other Players and divide the regions according to the existing plan.”

The basic guideline of the advance party was to create a base camp, divide the mapped regions by teams, and explore each region accordingly.

Seo Jun-Ho nodded at Shin Sung-Hyun’s words.

“Yes. Let’s look for a suitable clearing to set up camp.”

“I already found one!”

Skaya exclaimed cheerfully with a smile while pointing in a direction.

It seemed that she used Eye in the Sky to scout.

“What’s around here?”

“I’m not sure because there are so many trees, but there was a stream over there.”

‘A stream?’

Clean water was definitely necessary for survival.

Shin Sung-Hyun met Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes and nodded. “First of all, let’s gather the leaders of each team for a meeting.”

***

The meeting ended in a unanimous decision. The Players started clearing the area around the stream, and they started setting up camps for their own teams.

“Is this building supposed to be a shared cafeteria?”

“Yes, it is. I thought it would be good for everyone to eat together and exchange information.”

“That’s certainly a good idea.”

The man who was examining the blueprint of the floor plan nodded. Then, he looked toward the Players before saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, please step back for a moment.”

The people backed away, and the man’s explorer’s hat started wobbling. After a few moments, an animal the size of a soccer ball stuck its head out from underneath the explorer’s hat.

“It’s a mole.”

The man was a Spirit user capable of commanding a Spirit of earth. He was the same man who made the castle walls of the humans’ stronghold on the 4th Floor.

‘I wanted to talk to him back then, but I wasn’t really able to do so. This time, I really want to talk to him.’

Rumble!

The ground trembled as stone structures emerged from the ground.

Seo Jun-Ho stared in admiration. He looked at the Frost Queen, seemingly curious.

The Frost Queen noticed that. She seemed annoyed as she replied, “What. What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Can you do something like that as well?”

“Are you kidding me? Of course, I can. You know what? The Imperial Palace of Niflheim was built by my progenitor. It is an ice castle that monarchs had been trying to repair for generations.”

“Really? I had no idea.”

There was no way that Seo Jun-Ho could have known since the Frost Queen had never told him about it before.

‘Well, she did make the Queen’s Nest on her own.’

“...Moles aren’t rodents.”

“Goodness, you scared me!” Seo Jun-Ho was startled.

Kim Woo-Joong approached him without making any noise. Upon receiving Seo Jun-Ho’s gaze, Kim Woo-Joong revealed a grim look and said, “Many people get confused, but moles are not rodents. Do not be confused like them.”

“I-is that so?”

‘He’s got more animal knowledge now...’

Now that he thought about it, Kim Woo-Joong could see Spirits as well.

“Thanks for letting me know. By the way, you’ve done a great job earlier,” Seo Jun-Ho said out of courtesy.

Seo Jun-Ho was sincere when he said that. He honestly didn’t think that Kim Woo-Joong would be able to sever Plutus’ arm in a single sword strike. A corner of Kim Woo-Joong’s lips went up slightly as if he was very proud of himself.

“It’s a long story, but I’ve been training with Shin Sung-Hyun to face True Vampire Ghost on the 6th Floor. Anyway, how should I explain this… When I started to think about what I could cut and what I couldn’t cut, I was forced to think deeply about what it means to cut. After that, I…”

‘He’s got more swordsmanship knowledge now.’

Kim Woo-Joong inundated Seo Jun-Ho with words to the extent that the latter couldn’t help but think that he shouldn’t have talked to Kim Woo-Joong in the first place.

Fortunately, Son Chae-Won approached him with a smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You must be busy, but he’s bothering you again.”

“I’m not bothering him. We are talking in depth about swordsmanship right now, and—”

“You must have been talking to yourself. Can’t you see that Specter-nim is regretting talking to you?”

Kim Woo-Joong looked at Seo Jun-Ho as if he was asking if what Son Chae-Won’s words were true. Seo Jun-Ho smiled awkwardly and avoided Kim Woo-Joong’s gaze.

At the sight, Son Chae-Won smiled and dragged Kim Woo-Joong away.

“See? I was right, wasn’t I? Then, we’ll get going now, Specter-nim.”

“I… was talking to… myself…?”

‘Thank you so much for taking him away.’

Seo Jun-Ho looked at the map in the clearing and headed to the building assigned to him.

“Hey, what took you so long?”

“We thought you got lost.”

“I’m not a little kid...”

Seo Jun-Ho figured that perhaps his own team was the smallest team here.

Aside from the 5 Heroes, he only had the Frost Queen and Cha Si-Eun.

At last, Seo Jun-Ho could finally sit down. He sat in front of the circular table to relax.

Mio jumped up from her seat and announced. “I made a dish for everyone. I’ll serve it, so let’s eat it while we’re in the middle of our meeting.”

“No, no. It’s all right.”

“That’s right, Mio. We should prioritize the meeting rather than eating.”

“...I’m also full right now.”

Mio looked sad, but she still sat down.

Finally, the meeting started.

Skaya brought up a hologram map.

“First of all, we have to explore this area, which is east of the base camp. It’s beyond the stream.”

“I like that place.” Gilberto nodded, seemingly satisfied.

The terrain on the east was perfect for snipers because of the ample cover.

“Our goal is to leave at eight in the morning and be back by seven in the evening.”

“And how far are we planning to go?”

Skaya pinned a spot on the map at Seo Jun-Ho’s question.

“Right here. We don’t want to overdo it on our first day, so why don’t we just travel about three hundred kilometers?”

“...Did you say three hundred kilometers?” Cha Si-Eun was taking notes in her hologram notebook, but she was forced to stop and ask. She couldn’t help but doubt if she heard Skaya correctly.

“Yes, three hundred kilometers. Is there something wrong?”

“I mean…”

The distance between Seoul and Busan in a straight line was about three hundred kilometers.

‘She wants us to travel that far and explore it as well—all in just eleven hours?’

When Cha Si-Eun’s confusion grew more pronounced, Gilberto explained, “There’s no need to worry. It won’t be as tough as you think.”

“Have you already forgotten? The best thing about having a magic nerd in your party is that you won’t have to worry about traveling.”

“Ah!” Cha Si-Eun exclaimed upon realizing it.

Skaya Killiland’s Teleport had the longest range in the world, so the party could actually return to base camp at any time.

“Of course, you need the minimum amount of stamina to keep up with us. If you think that you can’t keep up, then you can stay here and rest.”

“...No. I’ll tag along,” Cha Si-Eun answered with a determined face.

Cha Si-Eun was a pure healer, so she wasn’t as powerful as the others in the party.

‘In other words, the bare minimum is keeping up with their stamina.’

Cha Si-Eun had been trying her best to build up her stamina since they cleared the 4th Floor. The last thing she wanted to do was hold the 5 Heroes back. Cha Si-Eun thought that perhaps she would finally find out tomorrow if what she had been doing so far was enough for her to keep up with them, stamina wise

“All right then. The destination and timings are both set; shall we call it a day?”

“I don’t think there’s anything else to prepare, anyway. Let’s end the meeting.”

Rahmadat and Gilberto got up from their seats.

Mio raised her hand and said, “I’ll prepare tomorrow’s meal then.”

“...”

“...”

The party tried to look for a good enough reason to refuse while making sure that the youngest member of the 5 Heroes wouldn’t get hurt. However, it seemed that someone had a different idea.

“No way! My stomach will hurt if I eat your food.”

“You dumbass!” Skaya flicked her hand and blew Rahmadat away with her magic.

Rahmadat went through the ceiling and flew into the horizon.

At the sight, Seo Jun-Ho sighed and snapped his fingers. ‘Rewind.’

The ceiling sprang back together as if it were a tape being rewound.

Seo Jun-Ho stood up and said, “If you’re going to fight, take it outside. Don’t break the building.”

“All right. I’ll make sure to right that lump’s insensitiveness today!”

“Good luck.”

Gilberto and Seo Jun-Ho were supposed to appease Mio in times like these.

“Mio, don’t worry about what that guy said and—”

However, Seo Jun-Ho only saw Gilberto.

Gilberto sighed and shook his head. “She ran out with lunch boxes stacked up high in her arms. I think she made those lunch boxes in advance and kept them with her.”

“Oh, no…”

Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue and looked at the open door.

***

Ripple.

Tenmei Mio stared at the water flowing down the stream for a long time.

The lunch boxes with fifteen different dishes next to her took her three days to complete. Sourcing the ingredients took a lot of time, but she managed to complete the lunch boxes in just three days.

‘And they actually taste good this time…’

Mio was aware that her cooking skills were slightly below average.

‘But the more you cook, the better you get…’

Mio recalled her mother telling her that no matter how bad the relationship was between two people. They would surely be happy and reconcile after eating delicious food together. In fact, the happiest times of Mio’s own childhood were during mealtimes.

‘My scary father and brothers become quiet during mealtimes, and I think it’s because Mom’s food is delicious…’

It was the reason why Mio had been trying her best to create great food.

It was all for the sake of strengthening the bond of the people around her.

“Sigh.”

‘Rahmadat and Skaya will probably start getting along as well.’

Rustle!

Mio heard rustling from behind her, and she abruptly turned in response.

“...?”

The person standing behind her was someone she didn’t expect to see at all.

- Did I interrupt you?

“What brings you here?” Mio asked warily. She was as wary as a wild cat.

‘He’s always wearing a suit along with that funny-looking helmet, and… he used to be my father’s ally.’

It was Mr. Shoot.

Mr. Shoot didn’t come any closer to Mio.

He remained standing in a spot that was a bit distant from her.

The letters on his helmet changed as they moved from left to right.

- I came here for no particular reason. I stumbled upon you, and you looked sad, which got me curious.

“It’s none of your business.”

- Ouch, that hurts. I thought we were allies.

Mio’s eyes narrowed. “I thought I rejected your offer?”

- Did you? I thought my offer was pretty good. Why did you reject it?

“Because it’s suspicious…”

Mr. Shoot was right. The offer wasn’t bad, but Mr. Shoot’s motives were unknown.

“My family no longer operates guilds.”

When Mio disbanded the Sky Soul Guild, the Tenmei Family became nothing more than just an ordinary family of swordsmen. However, Labyrinth of the Big Five sent an alliance request out of the blue.

Mio became suspicious because the offer was close to a sponsorship rather than an alliance.

- Hmm. Suspicious, huh…

Mr. Shoot nodded. Indeed, his offer was suspicious.

‘Was I too hasty?’

He figured that Mio would have had no choice but to feel that way.

After all, he was giving off the impression that he was trying to take care of her.

‘I didn’t really want to do this, but…’

Mr. Shoot remained silent as he organized his thoughts.

Eventually, the letters on his helmet were refreshed.

- To be honest, your mother helped me a lot when I was still young.

“I don’t believe you. I’m not an idiot.”

- Your mother was the kindest person I’ve ever met, and she always smelled like yuzu.

“...”

Mio was speechless. Her mother had never really gone out to engage in activities outside the family house, so her smell would only be known by people who had been in close contact with her.

- I established an alliance with the Sky Soul Guild because of my promise to her. It’s the same reason behind the alliance offer.

“The conditions you offered are better than when my father was still the leader of the Sky Soul Guild.”

- It was only an alliance between guilds back then. Right now, I want to sponsor you, Tenmei Mio.

“I am not in need of a sponsor.”

- I know. Anyway, just think of it as a request from someone who doesn’t want to become a lying scumbag.

“...I’ll think about it.” Mio stood up.

Mr. Shoot asked.

- Aren’t you going to take those lunch boxes with you?

“...I don’t need them anymore.”

‘No one wants to eat them, anyway.’

Mr. Shoot stared at the lunch boxes for a moment before asking.

- Then, can I eat them?

“Do as you please.”

When Mio finally left, Mr. Shoot was left alone. He sat down by the stream and opened one of the lunch boxes. He picked up pieces of food with chopsticks and ate them by sticking his chopsticks into the slight gap in his helmet.

“Hahaha.” Mr. Shoot couldn’t hold back his laughter at Mio’s terrible cooking. Her cooking was still poor, and she couldn’t even season food properly.

However, Mr. Shoot continued eating Mio’s food.

“...”

The taste was certainly unique, but the food was made with sincerity, and it reminded him of his childhood days.