久久大陆

Through some form of miracle, the group managed to find one of the sought-after exits of the Sky Dungeon, placed at the end of a luxurious hand of gilded steel.

"...That wasn't so bad, was it?" Eunji said with a sigh of relief, holding her hands close to her chest.

"Speak for ya'self," Yeong-Un said, stretching his neck side-to-side, "...I'm feastin' like a king when I get home."

Korain slapped Yeong-Un right on the back with an audible echo, followed by his boisterous laugh at what felt like karmic justice for all the times the wild-haired young man did the same to others.

"That's not a bad idea! Ha-ha! Jeong-Hui, Eunji–I'm leaving that part to you two!" Korain proclaimed with a thumbs-up.

You're really sticking me with a task after all of this?...Oh well, I can't complain, he smiled to himself.

As the group exited the Sky Dungeon, standing at the balcony of the outside from the mystical domain, he stopped and stared at the sunset that stretched across the horizon of the abandoned city.

Seeing Yeong-Un bicker with Sol, while Korain laughed carefree and Eunji tried her best to remain modest, he couldn't help but feel the warmth of his comrades overtake the darkness that clouded his mind.

"You've gotten stronger."

–To his surprise, Ma-Ri spoke to him, standing right beside him as the two looked over the sunset of Gangnam-Gu, listening to the chats of their comrades just a meter or two away.

He bashfully rubbed the back of his own head, "...Yeah, I guess I have."

"You don't seem happy about it," Ma-Ri commented, staring right at him with her icy blues.

Read like a book–that's the term that came to his mind following those words falling from her lips.

"Yeah, I guess not," his smile dimmed, "...I don't think I have the right to feel happy about it…not under these circumstances."

"Why not?" Ma-Ri interjected.

"What?" He looked at her, confused.

"Your comrades are alive–you're alive–what is there not to be happy about? It was your strength, both physical and mental, that brought you to this destination," Ma-Ri told him with her unmoving expression, "Are you not satisfied with such an outcome?"

Being told it like that, he didn't know how to respond–after all, nothing she said was wrong, but he still felt as if it was.

"It's just…you know what they say, right? It's cheesy, but–"The ends don't justify the means"...something like that applies here, I think. Sure, I saved Yeong-Un's life, but…In exchange, I took the life of two others," he told her quietly, looking forward.

He watched while Yeong-Un and Sol bickered, with the wild-haired man coaxing the frightened, hazel-haired friend of his to descend the golden rope downward.

"Jeong-Hui," Ma-Ri looked straight into his eyes, "You're mistaken."

"I am?"

Ma-Ri nodded as her silken, jet-black locks draped over her slender, but powerful shoulders, "I don't understand exactly what transpired, but I have a rough idea. That man you fought–he wanted the same thing as you, didn't he? The potion that would save his comrade. You wanted it as well."

"Yeah…that's about it," he confirmed with a quiet nod.

"Then is it not fair to say that both of your convictions clashed and equaled out? You both chose to forego the life of another to save one–he accepted that, and you did by engaging in battle with him. Therefore, you did only what was the equal response to another's will," Ma-Ri told him.

The way she spoke and looked at him was as if experiencing little emotion, yet she wasn't wrong, once again.

"Still…It doesn't mean I should be happy about this," he told her, looking up towards the clouds.

Just as he looked up, a droplet of cold rain splashed down against his cheek before more followed–within moments, it began to shower down as the sunset dimmed.

Ma-Ri's expression wavered when noticing the pain embedded in his emerald eyes as her immutable, stone-cold expression flinched for just a moment, "...I see. I suppose you're right. I can't tell you how to feel."

"Yeah."

"Are you two ready to go?! I'm not trying to catch a cold out here!" Korain called out.

By then, Yeong-Un, Sol, and Eunji had already begun descending the golden rope that led back down to the city.

"Y-yeah! Coming!" He replied.

As he moved forward, he glanced back at Ma-Ri, who followed behind, "...Thanks, Ma-Ri," he gave his words with a smile.

For a moment, in the breeze that carried the brisk rain, Ma-Ri looked at him in surprise before giving a small smile of her own, "Yeah."

He's strong. Dae-Seong was right about him–Jeong-Hui is somebody that can survive, Ma-Ri thought.

After touring through the abandoned city, avoiding all of the prowling Defects, the group of six returned to the compound, and soon into the hotel.

"Gyaah! I'm soakin'!"

Yeong-Un shook his head vigorously to rid his spiky locks of the rain.

They were all soaked from the downpour, which pelted down against the asphalt beyond the hotel doors aggressively.

"Hey! You're just getting me wet, too! Stop shaking like a wet dog–!" Sol whined, holding his arms up to block the water.

Without batting an eye at the rain that drenched her clothes, Ma-Ri faced the group, "I'll give a report of today's findings to the leader. Please dry yourselves and get some rest."

"Ya' got it!" Yeong-Un slapped his own bicep.

"...Sleep sounds good. Food sounds good. Bath sounds good…" Sol said tiredly with a yawn.

Ma-Ri disappeared up the stairs of the hotel, leaving the other five to settle back in after the long, strenuous day.

By the way that all eyes were left on him, he knew what was being silently asked of him as he let out a playful sigh.

"Alright, alright…I'll get dinner started–you guys go take baths before you catch a cold!" He ordered.

To his surprise, even Korain followed his command–like motivated by the prospect of a savory, succulent meal.

"Jeong-Hui, do you need…?"

Eunji asked, trailing her question as she stayed back while the rest parted in reach of the bathing rooms.

He shook his head, giving her a reassuring thumbs-up, "Go on ahead. I've got this."

"But–"

"It's fine," he told her with a small smile, "Besides, cooking helps me ease my mind."

Eunji hesitated for a moment before nodding, "If you say so, Jeong-Hui…"

After being left alone in the lobby, he waited for a minute as he looked up at the bright, iridescent chandelier before making his way to the kitchen.

"Alright…Nothing complicated–just something to get the job done," he talked to himself, thinking of what he wanted to prepare.

Being in the high-end kitchen, surrounded by culinary tools and an endless assortment of ingredients–thanks to Angel Shops and the abandoned supplies of the large city–he already had his mind beginning to be distracted as he looked through his options like a child in a candy shop.

"Hmm, this? No…maybe this? No, that won't do…Eunji doesn't do spicy things. Let's see…" He went through the ingredients, looking for the perfect meal to cater to his comrades' tastes.

Eventually, he found himself settling on something simple, foreign, but unmatched in its savory, filling nature: all-american beef stew.

It didn't take long for the entirety of the kitchen to become steamy with the fragrance of seasoned beef filling the area while he prepared the vegetables into the pot.

Even just cooking it, he could feel his stomach rumble as he stirred the pot, nearing completion as he added the finishing touches–sprinkling scarce salt in and light spices, just enough for an extra flair while not being uncomfortable for somebody like Eunji.

"...And there," he smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

The entire process took around an hour, but the finished result was a savory pot of beef, vegetables, and a hearty stock that he began to divide into bowls for each person.

Bringing out the six dishes, having to balance them unevenly on his arms, he stumbled out of the kitchen, finding his companions situated at the table already.

Of course, Yeong-Un and Sol were arguing about their contribution to the dungeon run–bickering as always.

Korain was attempting to tell some sort of story about how he caught a fish the size of himself, but Ma-Ri hardly seemed to be paying any attention as she sipped a fresh cup of coffee.

"This big–I swear!" Korain said, holding his arms out.

"Mhm," Ma-Ri nodded, not paying him much mind.

On the other hand, seeing him struggle to carry all of the servings, Eunji rushed over to help him.

"...Here! I've got it," Eunji smiled, grabbing a few of the large servings which were placed in sleek, black bowls.

"Thanks," he nodded with a small laugh.

After settling down, the time for supper came to the pleasure of the entire group, who were all ready for a nice, warm meal.

Without any manners, Yeong-Un immediately began shoveling food into his mouth, while Sol, Eunji, and Ma-Ri did a small prayer before beginning their meal.

It was something that struck him as odd still: the fact that people still seemed to pray in this world.

…It's not like God is going to aid us. He's the one that threw us into this mess. It just seems…pointless, he thought.

It was a small thing, but it didn't bother him much–he knew what was likely the real reason: maintaining their previous way of life.

In the falling world, people clung to whatever semblances of the world before Armageddon they could.