Chapter 2
Ihyun’s discovery of the monkey den was no coincidence.
‘My brother said that it didn’t seem like the monkeys just gave him the Hwaang Geumjeong as a gift.’
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You’ve passed our qualification test, so you’re worthy of this power, something like that?
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Maybe?
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Brother.
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Yeah.
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You should watch fewer comics. Live in reality.
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…You jerk?
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You’re not even in middle school anymore, stop acting like you’re the chosen one. Heh, this is a bit much.
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You want to die?
Back then, it had been dismissed as a joke, but Ihyun never took his brother Mun Suchan’s words lightly.
Because one day, those words might bring Mun Suchan a new opportunity.
And so,
Ihyun and Mun Suchan came to a few conclusions based on their memories.
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The monkeys giving Mun Suchan the Hwaang Geumjeong was definitely for some purpose.
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That purpose is likely connected to the original owner of the Hwaang Geumjeong, namely Sun Wukong.
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As long as one possesses the Hwaang Geumjeong, the chances of meeting Sun Wukong someday increase.
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Sun Wukong isn’t as far off as expected. There’s a high chance he’s in Korea.
So, Ihyun gathered and meticulously analyzed all the legends and myths of Sun Wukong that were scattered across the world.
Thanks to this, he was confident that no dungeon related to Sun Wukong would pose a problem for him.
This was why he could pass through the monkey den without incident.
And more importantly,
He had the perfect “eyes.”
[Hwaang Geumjeong (F)]
A legendary eye believed to have been obtained by the great celestial sage, Sun Wukong, when he escaped from the flaming Eight Trigrams.
The higher the proficiency, the more hidden truths of the world can be seen.
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Type: Sacred Artifact, Power
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Origin: Myth “Journey to the West”
Due to the inability to use magical power, the grade has significantly dropped. Only limited functions (danger detection, puzzle solving) are available.
Even without magic power, Mun Suchan had become the world’s greatest scout just by wielding the Hwaang Geumjeong.
No matter how much he lacked magical power, the Hwaang Geumjeong was still the Hwaang Geumjeong.
Moreover,
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This eye would suit you perfectly… With your traits combined, I bet you’d devour everything in your path.
Mun Suchan had been suggesting for a long time that the Hwaang Geumjeong would fit Ihyun well.
At the time, Ihyun had thought, “Brother’s just dumping everything on me because he doesn’t want to work.”
But now, looking back, it was clear that Mun Suchan must have seen something back then.
“…”
Because of that,
Ihyun had made up his mind: This time, he was going to find a clue related to the ‘true form.’
A few hours later.
Boom!
Two trees, which had been blocking the path like iron gates, fell down.
[You have entered the Boss Room.]
[This room is full of puzzles. Solve all the puzzles and meet the hidden owner.]
“Boss room!”
“What? Already arrived?”
“Was it hiding here? That’s why we couldn’t find it until now…!”
The group marveled as they saw a new clearing hidden deep in the jungle.
As they neared the center, the resistance from the zombie monkeys grew stronger, and the team began showing signs of fatigue, but their faces were still full of smiles.
Not only had they opened the Boss Room that had been locked for a year,
“Doesn’t this seem like a temple?”
“Legend? Myth? Doesn’t matter, wow, bonus!”
“Haha! Great job, everyone.”
The clearing was enormous.
The surrounding stones were filled with murals depicting monkeys waging war, and in the center, a bronze furnace was spewing flames.
Around the furnace stood eight giant stone monkey statues, guarding it like sentinels.
It looked unmistakably like a primitive tribe’s ritual site.
“So many monkeys here.”
“Who’s the monkey god here?”
“Hanuman?”
“Sun Wukong is here too!”
“Sun Wukong is more of a trickster than a god, though. Maybe he’s like Huga or Mashu?”
“Doesn’t matter, this is a jackpot.”
A temple based on myth was definitely priceless.
However,
Ihyun was not boasting despite the great achievement. He was carefully examining the Boss Room.
“What are you looking for? You’re acting like you’re trying to find something.”
Ihyun’s colleague, Im Won-Young, approached him.
Ihyun simply gave a slight nod.
“I’m just checking to see if there are any other traps. The strategy’s not over yet.”
“It’s a puzzle quest, right? You could take a break and do it later.”
“You never know how they might appear.”
His reply was blunt.
Im Won-Young chuckled.
“Didn’t they call you a workaholic back when you were with Cheongrae?”
Ihyun stared at her without saying a word.
“Don’t tell Min Dae-ri anything. I just asked because I was curious. My colleagues were also with Cheongrae.”
“…”
“Would you consider joining White Burn?”
Ihyun shook his head.
“Sorry, with my condition, I’d just be a burden.”
“You’re so blunt. You didn’t even think about it. Take your time and think about it. We’ll help with the curse removal, and any other support you want…”
“I’m sorry.”
“You really are blunt.”
Im Won-Young let out a small laugh.
But as she looked at Ihyun’s determined expression, her curiosity grew.
‘This is the guy behind the Gangneung Incident? The monster genius of 17th grade.’
Im Won-Young couldn’t forget the huge incident from four years ago.
Her friends and colleagues had been among the many casualties.
The Gangneung Incident, the so-called “Ice Palace” dungeon, was still talked about as a legend in the hunter world.
A 4-star dungeon that could trigger a global disaster if the break occurred.
When the Ice Palace appeared in the middle of Jeongdongjin, an evacuation order was issued for all the citizens of Gangneung, as well as residents of the East Coast.
The government issued orders to gather all guilds in Korea while also calling for international help, focusing on assembling a large-scale strike team.
‘That’s when Cheongrae was sent in.’
Cheongrae’s mission was to delay the break as much as possible until the main team arrived.
However,
‘The problem was that the break started happening much faster than the government predicted.’
At that point, a major disaster was imminent, so Cheongrae had no choice but to initiate the assault.
And after a massive sacrifice, they succeeded in clearing it.
The spotlight Cheongrae received from both domestic and international media was enormous.
They were heroes who saved Gangneung without major civilian casualties.
The officer known to have led them, codename ‘Jet,’ became almost revered.
But after that, no proper information was ever released, and their actions faded from the press, becoming naturally forgotten…
‘The military didn’t intentionally cover it up. The truth is, the aftereffects were too severe, and Jet retired, leaving no room for rumors to spread.’
Such a career would have made it tempting for many organizations to recruit Ihyun.
Min Dae-ri said he didn’t know why Ihyun chose to remain a civilian.
Not just him, but his colleagues too.
After retiring, they lost all contact.
‘What was the reason he couldn’t stay in the military?’
If Min Dae-ri was right, it meant Ihyun had been living as a guide with basic magical powers and a disability from an injury for 4 years.
This alone showed an incredible mental fortitude.
To overcome two fatal flaws as a hunter—how much pain and effort had he endured?
Im Won-Young was willing to grant Ihyun nearly anything he asked.
But Ihyun sliced through the conversation sharply before she could even finish listening.
Her face flushed.
“Or else…”
She tried to persuade him again when suddenly,
Flash!
‘What is that?’
Im Won-Young saw Ihyun’s eyes turn golden and burn brightly.
And then,
“Team Leader.”
“Yes?”
“It seems like things are about to get dangerous. This isn’t a temple.”
“…What?”
The sudden words from Ihyun froze Im Won-Young’s expression.
