Five days later...
YuWon had been online when Tyche and Hermes started chatting. Thanks to Hermes's inability to keep quiet, YuWon knew the details about a dungeon where Hermes planned to send his paladin.
Determined to get there first, YuWon set off with Soo-Ah and Gina in tow. YuWon, having leveled up the others a bit, shifted his focus to Gina, aiming to enhance her abilities. Perhaps this dungeon might even hold the key to unlocking her latent mana pool.
It was odd that Gina had more mana than Soo-Ah, yet she lacked any special abilities. Even in his previous life, YuWon had only ever seen her fight as a brawler. That's why he thought if he could find a way for her to tap into her potential, Gina could easily become the strongest among them.
YuWon had considered bringing Min-Joon along, but the latter was determined to continue his search for his parents. Respecting his choice, YuWon didn't push him. He suggested taking Hojin instead, but Min-Joon declined, insisting Hojin stay behind to help Yeji and Lilith defend the base.
I just hope he's okay. I'd hate to lose my investment if anything happened to him.
YuWon shook his head. He was in a dangerous dungeon. He couldn't afford to let his mind wander.
"Alright," YuWon said. "Let's get this done and hope the next mission is active by the time we're done here."
***
Somewhere else...
Min-Joon wiped the ogre's blood from his face before pressing the doorbell to the apartment. Much like every other apartment complex, the high rise in Gangnam wasn't an exception and was filled with monsters.
It took him hours to climb the stairs while fighting monsters. However, he didn't see a single survivor during that time. Blood and gore were everywhere, painting the hallways in red.
The chances of his family's survival were next to none. But Min-Joon shoved such practical thoughts out of his head. His parents were alive. They had to be.
Fourth floor... please be safe everyone.
This was where his parents lived with his elder sister. Given his family's solid military background, Min-Joon believed his father and sister could hold their own against the monster he had found so far. But since he hadn't seen them in any chatroom, he got worried and rushed over to Gangnam.
This wasn't the scene he had imagined before setting off to find his family. Since YuWon had found his family safe and sound, he had hoped he'd find his family safe as well.
But it was far from the truth.
In his family, his mother was the only one who believed in his dreams of pursuing sports. His father and sister had pushed him to follow in their footsteps and join the army, but his mother had stood by him. She had been his greatest supporter.
And now she was gone.
But he couldn't dwell on it. He got up, looking at the other rooms. Thankfully, there was no sign of his father or sister. So... he returned to his mother's side, wishing it all was a nightmare and she would wake up, caressing his head as she always did.
"Mom... you were alone when the monsters came, weren't you?" he mumbled. "I can't even imagine what they did to you..."
It made sense why she was alone. His father and sister would be at the military base, probably called in when the monsters first appeared. His mother must have been worried for him and didn't pay attention to the open balcony door.
Min-Joon blamed himself for everything. If only he'd come here sooner, his mother wouldn't have been worried about him and properly protected herself. If only he hadn't wasted time after the tutorial, maybe, just maybe, he could have saved her.
While he was lost in his grief, a message popped up before him.
[YuWon: Are you done there?]
Min-Joon wiped his tears with the back of his hand and quickly responded.
[MJ: I need to cremate someone. I'll join you guys shortly.]
[YuWon: ...send you location. I'm coming over.]
Min-Joon did not have the energy to argue back and just slumped next to his mother's corpse, still holding her hand.
"Mom... I'm sorry," he murmured, tears running down his face.