← I was summoned to another world and inherited an entire dungeon.He didn't know how long he had been kneeling. Time flowed differently here. There was no ticking of a second hand like in the outside world. Rumi's green light pulsed like a heartbeat, and Junho's breathing deepened in rhythm with it.
"Stand up."
It was Rumi's voice. Not as gentle as before. It was closer to a command.
Junho slowly pushed himself up with his hands. His legs were still trembling. Grim circled around his ankles once before returning to its place.
"Now you are the master of this place. A master must know his domain."
As Rumi spoke, the light of the luminescent moss spread outward. What Junho had seen until now was a space like a small room. But as the light extended further, the ceiling grew progressively higher. And in the darkness, shapes began to reveal themselves.
Walls. Massive walls of stone.
Junho instinctively took a step forward. The stone beneath his feet was smooth. He doubted whether the explanation of an abandoned mine was accurate. This place was far too orderly. There was a precision to it, as if someone had deliberately carved it out.
"What is this place?" Junho asked. His voice was hoarse.
"The central plaza. All paths converge here."
As Rumi spoke, the green light spread in a circular pattern. Only then did Junho realize he was standing at the center of a vast circular space. Along the walls, he could see five dark openings carved into the stone. They were cave entrances.
"What about that one?"
Junho pointed to the largest opening.
"That is where Seokwha lives. The deepest part. Closest to the heart of the dungeon."
"The heart?"
"You will understand later."
Rumi's answers always ended this way. Junho decided not to ask further. Instead, he began to walk slowly around the plaza.
His footsteps echoed. The sound of his boot soles against the hard stone. That sound reflected off the walls and followed him.
"Be careful. You don't yet know the rhythm of this place."
Rumi's warning came too late.
Something moved in the darkness.
Junho's body went rigid. It wasn't fast. Rather, it was slow. But the slower it was, the more terrifying it became. Slowness meant certainty.
"Ah, you've awakened."
A slithering sound across the stone. Junho stepped backward. Grim appeared in front of his feet. Its transparent, jelly-like body wavered, reflecting the green light.
Grim was looking at Junho. Despite having no visual organs, the direction was unmistakable. Junho couldn't tell whether what he sensed was emotion or curiosity directed at him.
"What is this?" Junho asked.
"That is Grim. The weakest monster in the dungeon. It cannot defend itself. But that doesn't necessarily mean it is weak."
As Rumi explained, Grim crawled up onto Junho's shoelaces. Junho didn't move. He thought he shouldn't overreact, the way one does when an animal catches an unfamiliar scent.
"Are there others?" Junho asked carefully.
Rumi didn't answer. Instead, the light moved to the left side of the central plaza.
There was water.
It wasn't a small pond but closer to a lake. The surface of the water reflected the green light perfectly. Junho carefully walked to its edge. He threw a stone to measure the depth.
The water was very deep. No sound came back.
"Food and water. Drink when you need to. There is no poison."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because it is mine."
Rumi's explanation was simple. Junho didn't ask further. Instead, he knelt at the water's edge and scooped water up with his hands. It was cold and transparent. There was no smell. The moment it touched his lips, a sour taste and the smell of earth covered his entire tongue. It tasted of nature.
Junho drank several times. Only now did he realize how deep his thirst had been.
"What about that side?"
Junho pointed to the far side of the lake. That area was still shrouded in darkness.
"A passage. If you go that way, you will reach the outside world."
Junho's hand stopped.
"Is it close?"
"Not far. But you cannot go yet. Your body is not ready."
Junho looked up. Rumi's green light illuminated his face. Rumi seemed to be looking at him. Despite having no eyes.
"Why?"
"Look at your heart."
Junho touched his chest with his hand. The green light shone brightest there. If you pass through it, that light will be severed. And you will die. Rumi's words echoed in his ears.
"How long?"
"I don't know. It depends on you."
Junho stood up. Suppressing the urge to continue walking around the lake, he turned back toward the plaza.
There, Grim was still in the central plaza. And beside it, there was something new.
It was a rock. But the rock was moving.
Junho stopped in his tracks. The rock slowly, very slowly, raised itself up. Its size was more than twice that of Junho. Its surface was rough granite, with moss blooming in places.
"This is Seokwha."
Rumi said.
Seokwha's body rose completely. Junho had to lift his neck to look at it. On its head were two deep, hollowed-out holes. They must have been eyes.
"Greetings, Master."
Seokwha's voice was heavy, just as Junho had expected. But there was contempt mixed within it. As if it didn't truly regard Junho as its master.
"Who are you?" Junho asked.
"I am the guardian of this place. I protect it when the master is weak."
Seokwha's speech was incomplete. It was stiff, like an old puppet speaking.
In that moment, Junho understood.
That this place was truly real.
And that he truly could not leave here.
Grim climbed onto Junho's feet. It was a soft touch. Like someone holding his hand.
Junho slowly bent his knees. He faced Seokwha directly.
"Show me. Show me all of this place."
Seokwha didn't move. Its hollowed eyes stared at Junho.
"Very well, Master."
There was still contempt in that voice. But beneath it, there was something very small.
It must have been curiosity.
Junho stood up. Grim remained on his feet. Rumi's green light began to move again.
This time it was the eastern passage.
Junho followed. His body was heavy, and his heart heavier still. But his feet did not stop.
He already knew this would become his home.
Rumi's green light illuminated the eastern corridor.
The passage was narrow. Junho had to throw his body sideways just to squeeze through. The walls glistened with moisture, and from somewhere came the regular sound of water dripping. Drip, drip, drip. That rhythm overlapped with Junho's heartbeat.
Seokwha had been left behind. His heavy footsteps grew increasingly distant. It seemed he was probably returning to his original position.
"This place is the domain of things born in darkness."
Rumi's voice resonated. Or rather, it felt more like it was floating. As if the air itself became a voice.
"The first thing you will meet is Geurim."
Junho asked, "Geurim?"
"A child of water."
The corridor suddenly widened. It took Junho's eyes a few seconds to adjust. Rumi's green light grew stronger, and where that light touched, a small lake appeared.
Or rather, it was more of a puddle.
The water was black. Or rather, it was a color that absorbed light. Even Rumi's green light grew dull when it touched the surface. Like shining light on black cloth.
Junho carefully approached the water's edge. His shoe sank into wet sand. It was cold and damp.
Junho's reflection appeared on the water's surface. But it was not accurate. As if someone beneath the water was distorting his image.
Junho stared at that distorted reflection. And he realized. That it was not his image.
The water moved.
The surface rippled. Not a gentle wave, but a movement of something rising from below to above. Junho instinctively stepped back.
"Do not be afraid."
Rumi's voice was gentle. It was the voice of a mother speaking to a child. Only then did Junho realize. How tense he had been.
Something emerged from the water.
At first, it looked like a bubble. Small bubbles gathering together to form a larger shape. As it rose above the surface, its form became clear.
It was transparent.
To be precise, it was translucent. It looked as if part of the water had separated itself with consciousness. Its size was about that of a cat. No, smaller than a cat. About the size of a kitten.
"This is Geurim."
Rumi said. "The youngest thing, and the weakest."
Geurim completely emerged from the water. The water fell away from its body. Like oil and water separating. Its body trembled like soft jelly. With each movement, light passed through its surface.
It had no eyes.
Junho was startled by this fact. Yet despite having no eyes, he could feel that Geurim was seeing him. As if seeing with his own skin. That sensation was not unpleasant. Rather, it was cautious.
It was a respectful gaze.
Geurim moved. Slowly. As if swimming through air as it would through water. Its form kept changing. At some moments it looked like a ball, at others like a water droplet.
Junho did not move.
Rumi said, "Geurim communicates only through sound. It has no words. But it listens. And it feels."
Geurim drew closer. To about a meter from Junho. It stopped there. As if guarding some kind of boundary.
Junho breathed. Through his nose, not his mouth. Consciously and slowly.
"Hello."
Junho said.
Geurim trembled.
It was a small tremor. Like a single drop falling on water and its ripples spreading. That tremor passed through Geurim's entire body.
And it took one step closer to Junho.
Junho's heart quickened. But it was not fear. It was curiosity. A curiosity to know what this transparent thing was, why it was approaching him.
"What are you?"
Geurim did not answer. Instead, it drew closer. To the distance of Junho's ankles.
Junho slowly bent his knees. To match Geurim's height. The thought crossed his mind that lowering himself like this might be dangerous, but he pushed it away. Rumi was there. Rumi was watching.
Geurim stopped. At the same height as Junho's face.
Junho saw something moving inside the transparent body. Like a small current flowing. Light was dancing within that body.
Junho reached out his hand.
"Can I touch you?"
Geurim did not move.
His fingers touched Geurim's surface.
It was cold and soft. Like jelly. But not entirely jelly. It was somewhere between liquid and solid. His finger seemed like it would sink in, but it did not.
Geurim climbed onto Junho's hand.
Very slowly. As if taking time to understand Junho. The part of Geurim that climbed onto his hand absorbed the warmth of his palm. At that moment, its color became slightly clearer.
Junho opened his hand wider.
Geurim moved to the center of his palm. It placed its entire weight on his hand. It was impossibly light. Like holding water. But the water did not flow.
"Rumi."
Junho said.
"Does Geurim... want to do something?"
Rumi was silent for a moment. That silence was not long, but it was heavy.
"Geurim has met its master for the first time. Seokwha is old, and I am... this place itself. But Geurim is new. Geurim wants to know its master."
Junho understood those words. As if, despite them not being in his language, they were being drawn directly into his heart.
Geurim moved. From his hand to his arm, from his arm to his shoulder. It climbed up Junho's body. That path was very careful. Slow, as if climbing a towering structure.
Junho allowed it.
Geurim climbed onto Junho's shoulder. Near his neck. It stopped there. As if to better feel the beating of Junho's heart.
"Geurim learns."
Rumi said. "From its master. Everything about its master."
Geurim trembled. Around Junho's neck. It was not fear. Junho felt it. It was excitement.
Junho slowly raised his hand. He caressed Geurim. Very gently. Like drawing a finger across water and creating ripples.
Geurim cried.
It was not a sound. It was a cry made by its body trembling. Like a silent cry.
"Geurim is weak."
Rumi's voice resonated again.
"But Geurim learns. And when it learns, it will know what it is."
Junho did not answer anything to those words. Instead, he caressed Geurim. Continuously. Feeling its transparent body become increasingly clearer.
This was the first time.
That someone had needed Junho.
And that Junho had needed someone.