“Mmgh… What the hell is this place?”
I could only watch as Hwang Seol-bin slipped through my fingers, unable to grab his hand in time. The moment I saw him fall, dread washed over me. Before I could even get up, I was pulled down too—plummeting just like him. Then, a white light wrapped around me, and everything went black.
When I came to, I was surrounded by unfamiliar scenery.
The Guide Center had vanished. In its place were trees and weeds growing wild, and above me stretched an empty sky. There was something strange in the air—something eerie. It reminded me of the dungeon I’d visited shortly after arriving here.
This feels like a dungeon… But what about Sunbae?
There was no sign of Hwang Seol-bin. He must’ve landed somewhere else. Instead, lying next to me, unconscious and clinging tightly to my arm, was Yoon Yi-hyeon.
Seriously? Of all people to get stuck with… Why is he holding onto me like this?
No matter how hard I shook him, he wouldn’t let go. It was like he thought my arm was a damn lifeline. Eventually, maybe thanks to the shaking, Yoon Yi-hyeon stirred and opened his eyes.
“…Ugh. What is this place?”
“Let’s start by getting your hand off me.”
“My hand? What are you—oh, shit!”
Realizing he’d been clinging to my arm with both hands, Yoon Yi-hyeon recoiled like he’d touched something filthy and immediately let go. Then he actually started wiping his hands in disgust. I stared at him, speechless.
He’s the one who grabbed me in the first place—what the hell is he grossed out about?
Whatever. I didn’t have time for this nonsense. Hwang Seol-bin was still missing. Even Espers don’t enter dungeons alone. For a Guide like him, it’s even more dangerous.
He’s okay… right? He has to be.
If I’d just reached out faster, maybe we wouldn’t have gotten separated…
I need to find him. Now.
That thought filled my head completely. I stood up and started walking. Of course, Yoon Yi-hyeon followed behind me like a stray dog.
“Where the hell are we?”
“Is this a dungeon?”
“Hey! Do something!”
“Hey—hey! Where are you going?! Are you seriously ignoring me?!”
He kept pestering me the whole way, but I didn’t even glance back. I didn’t have time to waste on him. Even a few seconds of conversation felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford.
“HEY! Why are you ignoring me?! I said, where ARE we?!”
When I wouldn’t answer, he finally ran ahead and blocked my path, shouting like some entitled brat.
“It’s probably a dungeon. Now move. I need to find my Sunbae. He’s alone out there—he must be terrified right now.”
“Hwang Seol-bin?! You’re thinking about him at a time like this? Shouldn’t you be protecting me, an A-Rank, instead of worrying about a D-Rank?!”
I stared at him in disbelief, my expression twisting.
“…If you want to talk ranks, then shouldn’t you, an A-Rank, be the one protecting me, A S-Rank, Guide Yoon?”
“W-What? Did you really just say that?!”
“I’m not done yet.”
At the Center, I held my tongue because of Hwang Seol-bin. But not anymore.
“Guide Yoon Yi-hyeon. You keep acting like rank matters more than anything. Then why do you keep ignoring the fact that I outrank you?”
“Wh-What did you just say…?!”
“Can’t you read the room? Stop acting like you’re superior just because you think you’re better. Keep pushing it, and you’re going to regret it.”
“Y-You… YOU!”
We’d clashed before, but he’d never seen this side of me. Yoon Yi-hyeon stared at me, stunned, caught off guard by the way I glared at him. His face flushed red with humiliation.
That felt good. Should’ve done that a long time ago.
“Don’t follow me.”
I said it coldly and walked past him. I could feel him seething behind me, but I ignored it. He wasn’t what mattered right now. My mind was drowning in worry for Hwang Seol-bin, alone somewhere in this unknown place.
…I have to find him.
When I first fell into this strange world, everyone brushed me off like I was crazy. Everyone but Hwang Seol-bin. He believed me. He gave me advice. He risked his life to save mine. Even when he seemed indifferent, he always listened.
Please… please be okay. Please be safe.
The memory of losing my grip on his hand wouldn’t leave me. My whole body felt cold, and panic kept building in my chest.
***
“…Where… am I?”
The last thing I remembered was being engulfed in a white light. Now, I was waking up in the middle of a dense forest. One second I’d been at the Guide Center—now I was here?
This has to be a dungeon.
The area was packed with towering trees and wild grass. At a glance, it looked like any ordinary forest, but I couldn’t tell where I was or how big this place was.
I got up and quickly checked my condition. Even though I’d fallen from a great height, my body was mostly fine—just a few scrapes and bruises.
Where’s Kim Yong-ha?
I looked around, but there was no one in sight. No footsteps, no movement—nothing. It seemed like I’d landed here all alone.
Even for me, being alone in here is too dangerous.
The smartest move was to find Kim Yong-ha first. He was the protagonist—there was no way he’d die. More importantly, the moment word got out that an S-Rank Guide was missing, the Espers would mobilize fast to rescue him. Sticking close to him was the safest place to be right now.
Still… it’s not like that guarantees survival.
The fear of death crept in and clouded my thoughts. In the original novel, this dungeon was where Hwang Seol-bin—this body—died. So far, things hadn’t followed the plot exactly, which gave me a sliver of hope. But that didn’t mean I could let my guard down.
It’s okay. I’ll survive. I’ve got the ring Kim Seong-gyeong gave me. That should be enough to save me once…
I steadied my breath and reminded myself of the Protective Shield Ring tucked in my pocket. Just thinking about it gave me the strength to move. I started walking carefully.
Which direction would he be in?
If I fell first and he came down right after, then he couldn’t have landed far from here.
Keeping my presence low like I used to during stakeouts as a Special Agent, I moved cautiously, scanning the area. Cold sweat trickled down my back. There was no telling when—or where—a monster might pop out.
With only my own footsteps echoing through the silent forest, the tension grew heavier with each step. If only Kang Biso were here… just having him nearby would’ve made me feel—
Ugh, what am I even thinking?
It’s not like I have any reason to feel safer with Kang Biso around. I shook the thought out of my head.
“…Huh?”
That’s when I heard it—footsteps that weren’t mine. I immediately dove into the thick brush and crouched low. Through the leaves, I spotted something massive.
A monster!
It was easily twice the size of a normal lion, with thick, shaggy black fur, a heavy mane, and glowing blood-red eyes. It strode casually through the trees, and even its slow steps made the ground tremble. One look told me this thing was dangerous.
I held my breath and tried to stay calm. Thankfully, it hadn’t noticed me yet.
If I hadn’t seen it first… if it had spotted me before I had the chance to hide…
I’d probably be dead already. No weapon, no defense—there’d be no fighting back. Just one hit, and I’d be done for.
Please just keep walking. Don’t look this way…
I crouched silently, barely breathing, and waited. Luckily, the monster passed by without noticing me. It took a while before I felt safe enough to crawl out of the brush.
I exhaled in relief. Thank god I hadn’t been spotted.
Still, I couldn’t go on like this. I needed something to protect myself. Even a makeshift weapon would do.
I looked around and gathered what I could—sharp rocks, a sturdy branch, and some long grass to use as rope. It was a crude, uneven spear, but it was better than nothing.
He can’t have gone far…
If I could just find somewhere to hide, even temporarily, that’d be a start. Wandering around blindly looking for Kim Yong-ha would only get me killed. That’s when I spotted it—a cave entrance, half-covered by thick grass.
A cave?
Should I check it out? But what if there’s a monster inside…?
—KURROOOAAAH!!
“…Shit.”
The roar echoed from somewhere in the distance. A monster had definitely caught a scent. Every hair on my body stood on end. I didn’t even hesitate—I ran straight into the cave. If I was going to die either way, I’d rather go down fighting.
…Is it empty?
The cave was deeper and wider than I expected. I didn’t see anything yet, but I kept moving carefully inside. Who knew—I might even get lucky and find something useful.
I had no idea how far I walked, but eventually, I reached the end.
“…What the hell?”
There was a massive pile of junk—torn clothes, half-burned lighters, crumpled cigarettes, even books. They were all clearly human belongings. Scattered among them were human skeletons, brittle and broken.
It looked like a monster had been hoarding the things it took from the people it killed.
I dug through the pile, hoping for something usable—anything at all. But no luck. Just worthless trash.
Wait. If there are corpses here… doesn’t that mean this place is dangerous too?
Could this be a monster’s nest?
A chill crept down my spine. I turned to leave, but something caught my eye—half-buried in the dust between two skeletons was a book.
What’s a book doing here?
I brushed the dust off and froze.
The Book… of Wishes?
I blinked and looked again, just to be sure.
It was identical to the one Baek Beom had brought me. Same cover. Same title. “Book of Wishes,” written right in the center.
Why was it here? Why in this cave?
Before I could process the confusion, instinct took over. I opened the book. I had to check—was it really the same?
And then—
“Sunbae?”
A familiar voice called from behind me.
Startled, I snapped my head around, completely forgetting about the book.
Standing there, panting heavily, was—
“…Kim Yong-ha?”
