The Dimensional Swordmaster C23

Chapter 23. The Unknown Means (3)

“The Deputy Master is here now, so he’ll manage everything. As long as the clear is handled properly, there won’t be an issue. What makes sudden dungeons such a headache is that, when the gate first opens, there are always people who get pulled inside.”

“Ah… people get sucked into the gate?”

The story sounded strangely familiar. Yurian had been dragged into a black void in exactly the same way.

Was that a gate? To these people, it was the inside—but to Yurian, it had been the outside.

Lost in thought, he tapped his fingers lightly.

He felt as if he almost understood something. The world and world connected by the gate, the monsters that moved between those spaces, the differences between these people—who could not see mana—and himself.

There was a system in this world, yet Yurian could not see it.

Perhaps this place is…

“Are you truly not from here?”

Gong Siyoung’s voice jolted him back. At some point, the car had slowed to a crawl. After a moment of hesitation, Gong Siyoung glanced sideways at him.

“It’s just… it really seems like you came from inside a dungeon.”

Yurian blinked. After all this time together, he was only now asking that?

“Then what did you think I was this whole time?”

Gong Siyoung shut his mouth, guilty. His expression alone revealed enough—whatever he had assumed, it wasn’t flattering.

Yurian couldn’t help laughing.

“Whether that place was inside a dungeon or outside, I’m definitely not from here. The things you have, the things you don’t—I had none of them where I lived.”

He pointed first at the car, then at the scenery beyond the window. Unlike this convenient and comfortable otherworld, Yurian’s world had been one of desperation and constant struggle.

Monsters appeared without warning. People died easily—too easily. Killing and being killed were both commonplace.

“It hurts my pride a bit, but it was far filthier and far harder to live in than here. Compared to that, this place is basically paradise.”

A life without safety easily led to despair. Monster attacks, the tyranny of lords, famine and plague—despair and death circled under many names.

For Yurian, such things were familiar as breathing.

“Is your ability to see sudden dungeons related to being from that world?”

“Well… it feels like it. Mana is so scarce here that when it clumps together like that, it stands out a lot.”

“…What exactly is mana?”

Until now, Yurian had been the one asking questions while Gong Siyoung answered; this was the first time the roles had reversed.

His shy, almost embarrassed tone amused Yurian. He cleared his throat, restraining the urge to laugh.

“To put it simply, it’s the power required to use magic. A mage’s circle is determined by how delicately they can control mana. It’s the source of power.”

Mana was not infinite. Depending on one’s proficiency, the speed of depletion varied, but mana was consumed with every spell.

Once it ran dry, magic could no longer be used. One had to wait for it to recover, or replenish it more quickly using mana stones.

“So when the gate opened, that mana was visible to you?”

“Right. There’s just so much mana inside a dungeon. I think what I saw leaking out was that. I’m not certain, but that’s my guess.”

For Yurian, it was incredible that Gong Siyoung could not see mana. How could he not?

Even when Gong Siyoung used his skills, mana clearly moved. In some way or another, he was using mana too.

Being unable to see it but still being able to use it? Like saying something was both hot and cold—it didn’t make sense.

“Can I ask one more thing?”

“Ask anything.”

The car slowed. As they entered a building, the surroundings dimmed. It felt like driving into a cave.

Yurian looked at the parked cars with curiosity when Gong Siyoung posed his question.

“If you really did come from another world… do you not want to return? You don’t seem particularly desperate, but one never knows.”

This was why Gong Siyoung had struggled to believe him.

People claiming they came from another world were usually panicked, terrified, or unstable.

But Yurian had shown no real crisis reaction at all. No anxiety, no meltdown—not even confusion.

Dropped into a strange world with no acquaintances, no knowledge of the place… yet he carried himself as if nothing were amiss.

Believing he was simply insane had seemed more realistic. It had been the wrong conclusion, but not unreasonable.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? Anyone who gets lost would normally panic.”

From the beginning until now, Yurian’s attitude had been consistent. Gong Siyoung was right: the situation had shocked him, but not rattled him.

Rather than react emotionally, he had accepted everything with a “so that’s how it is” attitude. It wasn’t indifference—it felt more like resignation.

As if he had long since given up expecting anything from the world.

“That’s why… It’s just hard. Whatever you say doesn’t feel sincere to me.”

The car slowed and came to a stop. The engine shut off, silence filling the space. In the darkness, Yurian blinked slowly.

“Hmm. I don’t recall ever trying to hide my sincerity…”

If that was how Gong Siyoung perceived him, Yurian had nothing to refute.

It didn’t seem he expected an answer anyway—Gong Siyoung got out without hesitation.

The door slammed shut. Without a word, Gong Siyoung walked along the path.

Left sitting in the passenger seat, Yurian murmured softly:

“Should I have panicked?”

The place was unfamiliar, yes—but it wasn’t terrifying or overwhelming. He didn’t even particularly wish to return home.

Had he wandered too long? Or was this world simply too comfortable?

“Wait for me.”

Not wanting to fall behind, Yurian quickly exited the car.

Still carrying an unanswered question, he followed after Gong Siyoung.

“Ah, I get it now. What we think of as skills are what you’d call magic. And you said you use a sword, right? Could I take a look at it?”

“Of course.”

“Oh…! It’s beautiful. The grip is perfect… Wow, this is art. Seriously high quality.”

“You’ve got a good eye. What’s your name?”

“Myung Haejin. You can just call me Haejin. You’re older than me, so feel free to speak casually.”

Laughter and chatter filled the air. Pink hair and white hair leaned close, talking excitedly.

At their unexpected bonding, Gong Siyoung’s eye twitched.

Someone take them away already.

Ten minutes had passed since they gathered in the conference room. Despite the severity of the situation, the atmosphere was unbearably light. Even an apartment residents’ association meeting would’ve felt more serious.

The cause was obvious: those two.

With the appearance of an overlapping dungeon, should they not at least pretend to be serious? Yurian could be excused—he was from another world—but Myung Haejin had no such excuse. His perpetually carefree attitude was infuriating.

Five people were present: Gong Siyoung and Yurian, along with Woo Yujin and Gu Jayoung, who had been the first to enter the dungeon. Adding Myung Haejin to the mix made keeping a straight face impossible.

It was expected to some degree—since Woo Yujin and Gu Jayoung had participated earlier, they were the natural choices to return, and if they were here, Myung Haejin was likely to follow.

Gong Sijin’s reasoning for assembling this team was also clear.

Despite Gong Siyoung’s personal dislike, Myung Haejin’s skill was impeccable. Even he acknowledged that.

In some respects, Myung Haejin was more reliable than an S-rank hunter. No matter where he was placed, he exceeded expectations. Rational, composed, and quick to assess—his judgment was almost always correct.

Objectively speaking, this was an ideal team:

S-rank Gong Siyoung; veteran and level-headed Myung Haejin; Gu Jayoung, a healer who also possessed offensive skills; and Woo Yujin, one of the strongest close-range dealers despite being talkative.

The roles and balance were perfect. Everything added up.

So why did it feel so irritating?

“Sorry, am I late?”

The conference room door opened and Gong Sijin entered, arms full of documents. He placed the thick stack on the table. Curious eyes followed the heavy bundle.

“The Bureau meeting kept getting delayed, so it just ended. The Deputy Master was supposed to brief you all, but he suddenly got busy, so I came instead. It’s sensitive information—we can’t just hand it off.”

Gong Sijin winked at Yurian, then clapped his hands as he looked around the room.

“You’ve already heard the general explanation, right? The detailed information is in the documents I’m giving you, so check those.”

He distributed the files one by one. Stamped across the front in red were the words Confidential.

For a while, the rustling of papers replaced all conversation. After a short pause, Gong Sijin spoke.

“Yesterday afternoon, inside the dungeon within our territory, an anomaly occurred. A gate leading to another dungeon appeared, and the time remaining until it opens is…”

He checked his wristwatch.

“Exactly five hours. In five hours, all of you will have to enter.”