1.

To Kim Buja, Park Sijun was nothing more than a rich kid who'd cleared a Unique Dungeon with his money and his class, but he was at least capable of protecting himself.

He did so using his money and his class, just as Buja had judged.

But as long as he wasn't a liability, there was no reason to abandon him. And so, their life in the maze began.

They wandered aimlessly, killing any monsters they saw, and then rested. They hunted for exactly twelve hours, then took turns sleeping for three.

It was a proper, by-the-book pattern for clearing a dungeon that other players would have applauded for its calm and methodical approach.

But it didn't quite fit Kim Buja's style. It hadn't been long, but Park Sijun knew that much. Yet he didn't ask why.

'He must be spooked since it's a Special-grade dungeon,' Sijun thought.

In fact, he should have been thanking him. Encased in armor from head to toe, with only his eyes visible, Sijun had a true objective: to scan every corner of the maze while they fought.

It would be a problem if they killed all five hundred monsters before he accomplished his goal. So he followed quietly.

There were even times when he deliberately dragged out fights with monsters he could have easily finished off while Buja wasn't looking. The monsters were strong, but with Buja drawing aggro and the effects of his own high-end items, it was manageable.

Still, day by day, the monster kill count steadily rose.

[Monsters Defeated: 45]

That was the count after three days. At this rate, the calculations showed they could clear the dungeon in a month.

'That's enough time,' Sijun thought with certainty.

Everything was going according to plan. He had been worried when they first entered, but his gamble on Kim Buja—the variable who would handle everything—had paid off perfectly. He hadn't predicted it would work out this well.

'I didn't expect the Jeong Cheol Guild to back him this much. But it doesn't matter. Once I recover the two Legendary items, the world is mine.'

The monsters were strong and the maze was vast, but thirty days would be more than enough time to achieve his goal.

"Break's over. Let's move," Buja said abruptly.

"What are you talking about? You still have two hours of rest time left."

"You've rested for three. I'm fine, so let's get moving. The maze is about to shift again, and we could get trapped if we stay here."

"That's true, but you're being unusually diligent in this dungeon," Sijun observed.

"I can't tell if you're here to clear it or to search it."

Sijun fell silent.

At Kim Buja's piercing remark, Park Sijun clamped his mouth shut, grabbed his gear, and stood up. Fortunately, his helmet concealed his stiff expression. As Sijun walked on in silence, Buja followed with a smirk.

* * *

A two-man clear of a 1-star Special dungeon. It wasn't a common headline, so it became a hot topic.

The news would have spread through the online communities even without any promotion, but with the heavy publicity, it was bound to attract attention not just in South Korea but from other countries as well.

People were focused on two main questions:

1. Can they clear it?

2. What will the rewards be?

Regarding the second question, it was rare for an item of the corresponding grade to drop, and even if they got lucky and a Special-grade item appeared, the range of possibilities was so wide that prediction was impossible.

Thus, it didn't generate much buzz. Besides, the first question had to be answered before the second could even be considered.

[Can they really clear it with just two people?]

—But looking at their specs, isn't it totally possible? Park Sijun's mechanics aren't the best, but the SJ Guild is backing him with tons of items and his class is Special Grade. We don't know much about Kim Buja, but seeing him solo dungeons from Epic to Unique, his control has to be top-tier.

—Still, that dungeon is way too much for them.

—I actually think it was a good choice. If the condition was to kill a boss or escape the maze, it could be a death trap. But this way, they just have to wander around safely and kill monsters, right? If they run into an elite, they can just run away.

—That's true. The penalties are the worst, but I guess the clear condition saved it.

Success or failure. People watched with curiosity, knowing that life could be completely overturned by a razor-thin margin. Of course, their speculation was meaningless.

—What's the point of analyzing it? It all depends on the players inside.

Just as the comment said, you couldn't judge a dungeon with unknown variables based on just a few clear conditions and penalties.

The same went for the Jeong Cheol Guild, who were watching with far more anxiety than the casual observers.

"How is it going?" Jeong Cheol asked.

"There's no precedent, so it's hard to predict, but given the dungeon's difficulty, they're estimating a fifty percent clear probability," Seora replied with a serious expression, as if her only concern was Buja's progress.

Jeong Cheol chuckled at her brazenness.

"It should be ninety-nine percent, not fifty. Considering someone took my Special Grade armor without permission."

"Of course. I told the strategy analysis team that, but they said the maze itself has too many variables, so that's how they calculated it. They don't have any information on Buja's class, either. They said it's unlikely he'll die, so he should at least make it out."

She just laughed, not pressing the issue. Hadn't he said it himself? 'Don't spare any support.' He could get angry about the order of events, but Jeong Cheol trusted his daughter's decision more than he valued his armor. She must have had her reasons. So, he swallowed his words and asked just one thing.

"You 'lent' it to him, right?"

"Pfft."

At his serious tone, Seora couldn't help but burst out laughing. Her father, usually stoic, looked so anxious, and it was endearing. She nodded.

"Of course. It's guild support, through and through. It's not mine, so I wouldn't just give away your things. Since it's your armor, I couldn't just decide on my own, so while I couldn't tell him to return it after this dungeon, I made it clear it was a loan. Don't worry. He's not the type to take it and run."

Naturally, that wasn't very reassuring to Jeong Cheol.

"If you're that worried, I'll just tell him to use it for this one time and give it back. It's a 1-star item anyway, so he'll replace it as soon as he finds something better."

What was he supposed to say to that? It was infuriating, but objectively, Seora's choice was the right one. Putting aside the fact that it was his cherished armor, lending a rotting item from the warehouse to a promising guild member to raise the guild's overall strength was a wise decision. If it were purely for the good of the guild, Jeong Cheol was willing to let it go. So he asked.

"You're not in a relationship with that guy, are you?"

"Pffft."

Seora spat out the water she was drinking.

"Even if you are, you can't just give him everything. I didn't raise my daughter that way."

"I know. Don't worry. As long as there are no major variables, your armor won't be left to rest in that dungeon. When he comes out, I'll be sure to get a firm answer on when he'll return it."

In any case, neither Seora nor Jeong Cheol had any doubt that Kim Buja would make it out alive. While everyone else was calculating the odds of failure, they had the luxury of wondering how long the clear would take.

2.

Humans are creatures of adaptation. Players, in particular, adapt faster than other humans in dungeons. They have to. To survive. That's why a half-joking, half-serious saying on the online communities claimed the fastest way for a newly awakened player to adapt was to throw themselves into a dungeon.

Park Sijun was feeling that truth in his bones for the first time since his awakening.

"Hah, hah."

At first, he could barely kill a single monster, just barely holding on. Now, though he was panting, he could finally take one down.

He could feel his own improvement with every battle.

"I did it!"

He completely forgot about finding the hidden Legendary item and reveled in his own success. It was possible because, in the end, Park Sijun was a player too.

"I did it! See, I knew I could do it."

As he slammed his shield on the ground in celebration, a hand slapped the back of his head.

"Ack!"

"Don't get so cocky over one kill."

Kim Buja smirked as he flicked the gunk off his dagger. From what he had observed, Sijun was the quintessential chaebol heir. A textbook cash cow he could push over. So he stopped hiding his true thoughts.

"Hey, do you even know where it is?"

"What?"

"The Legendary item. The one your guild dropped in here."

"Hah!"

Sijun, who had been about to answer casually, froze. He could handle subtle probing, but he never expected such a direct strike.

"How did you…"

He made a mistake he shouldn't have. A brief silence hung in the air. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late.

"So that's what it was. I knew it."

Sijun was speechless.

When he cautiously turned his head, he saw Buja with one corner of his mouth curled up in a smirk. Sijun swallowed hard.

His mind and heart were screaming at him to deny it, but seeing Buja's expression, he couldn't get the words out. Fortunately, the silence didn't last long. Buja broke it nonchalantly.

"I thought it was weird you'd pay fifty million dollars and offer such good terms. You had to know I'd jump at the chance to get a carry for just two million dollars, so I wondered what could be worth getting for a steal at fifty million, and the answer was obvious. I was sure of it when I saw you risk your own life to come into a Special dungeon. And you wandering around, scanning everything, was basically an advertisement that you were searching for something. It was too obvious."

"…Then why?"

'Why wait until a week had passed to suddenly bring it up?' He couldn't finish the sentence. Putting himself in Buja's shoes for just a moment, he knew the answer.

"Because it didn't matter. After watching you for a week, it's clear you have no idea where it is. And this maze changes like a whole new world every three hours, like a Möbius strip. Even if it's somewhere in here, I doubt you could find it. I don't think I need to wait for you anymore."

It was a matter of usefulness. Seeing Kim Buja turn his back without a second thought, Sijun shouted.

"One hundred million dollars!"

In moments like these, his decisiveness was certainly befitting a chaebol heir. But Buja didn't even flinch.

"Fifty million is enough. I'd rather just try to get a Legendary item. If I can't find it, so be it."

He wasn't bluffing.

"Lately, I've started to like gold and items more than numbers in a bank account."

His mindset had changed in just a few months. Of course, he wouldn't refuse money.

"I might consider it as the price for your life, though."

"You piece of trash." Sijun shot back.

"You're the trash for trying to deceive me. Trying to get a Legendary for fifty million dollars? Man, if this were a game, you'd be executed on the spot."

Sijun reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, then when we get out, I'll prepare the money in cash…"

Buja cut him off sharply.

"How can I trust you'll pay me once we're out? Pay up now."

"What? How am I supposed to have that kind of money on me…"

Buja's eyes gave the answer.

"Items will do just fine in place of cash."

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