BRDM 54

chapter 54

Buzz.

Im Won-young glanced at his phone as it suddenly vibrated.

-Entering the dungeon. I’m not sure this is really the right thing to do… (tears emoji)

A single message from Kim Min-jung.

“…So they really went in.”

Im Won-young let out a hollow laugh, knowing exactly what the message implied.

Even he wondered if such a schedule was even possible.

‘I approved it because she said she could handle it… but… sigh.’

There’s a saying: riding a tiger.

It refers to a situation where you cannot stop what you’re doing, like being on a tiger’s back.

Im Won-young thought that this perfectly described the situation between him and Lee Hyun.

Ever since Team Leader Jung died, and ever since he sided with Lee Hyun, they had crossed a river from which there was no return.

‘But these days, it’s hard to tell who’s the tiger and who’s riding it.’

The reason Lee Hyun attempted such a reckless march was clear:

She wanted to shake off the “temporary” label and solidify her position as team leader.

Compared to the lazy, deceased Team Leader Jung, she would naturally put pressure on Executive Jung.

‘Still, I hope she doesn’t overdo it.’

Just as Im Won-young worried about Lee Hyun’s safety,

“Your focus is drifting.”

The words from the mountain spirit, Mo Jeong-gun, made the three log-cutting demons surrounding Im Won-young vanish in an instant.

“Sorry. I was distracted. Let’s start again.”

Recently, after gaining insights into the Mountain Lord mythology, Im Won-young had been receiving personal training from Mo Jeong-gun.

“You’re completely distracted. How could this go well?”

Mo Jeong-gun chuckled while holding his bamboo staff.

“Don’t worry. You’ll finish it far better than you imagine.”

Her gaze seemed to pierce right through him.

“Why the surprise? Am I reading your mind too well?”

At that moment, a thought flashed through Im Won-young’s mind.

“…Grandmother, could it be—”

“Yes. I sent a few Hwahangmama. Even a dozen or so spear ghosts.”

“…!”

Im Won-young’s eyes widened.

He knew exactly what that meant.

Mo Jeong-gun always sent a gift containing a Hwahangmama to someone she wished to nurture or test.

Hwahangmama was a clone partially made from her consciousness.

Naturally, it was violent and intelligent, making it very difficult to deal with.

‘I’ve experienced it myself… and it’s still the same now.’

Even top-ranked players could be easily torn apart by it.

Add spear ghosts, and it could rival a full raid team.

Ultimately, the tester had to strengthen themselves by clashing with these beings.

Sometimes learning by stealing the organs of the spear ghosts.

Other times, battling the momentum of the Hwahangmama.

Fail to learn anything, and one would turn into a spear ghost…

‘Among those selected by grandmother, very few failed. And after overcoming adversity, they always became much stronger.’

Today, many executives and raid leaders of White Burn were once Hwahangmama testers.

‘But most of them only faced a handful of spear ghosts at most.’

Yet Lee Hyun faced two or three times that number.

“Aren’t you curious what happened?”

Im Won-young remained silent, his lips tightly pressed.

An unspoken yes.

A slow exhale, and Mo Jeong-gun laughed.

“I’ve never seen anyone so greedy in my life.”

“Greedy…?”

“Taking everything—the Hwahangmama, the spear ghosts… that one.”

“…!?”

“And then fully assimilating them, turning them into something entirely new… I mean, unbelievable.”

Her expression was full of astonishment.

Im Won-young shouted urgently.

“Wait, grandmother! What do you mean by taking them? Could one just take a Hwahangmama or a spear ghost if they wanted?”

Mo Jeong-gun crossed her arms and twisted her mouth.

“That’s why I’m astonished. It makes no sense. That person isn’t even my disciple, yet they did it.”

“…!!”

Im Won-young was one of the few who knew Mo Jeong-gun’s true identity.

A divine being born in human form who had achieved the status of a god and ultimately immortality.

Though a trace of human attachment remained, she had already completed her narrative.

Meaning she could not distribute power unless she personally acknowledged someone as a successor.

Hwahangmama was divine power in itself.

Yet Lee Hyun defied that convention.

“I heard that the deceased Jecheon Great Saint caused a commotion in heaven doing the same thing… perhaps that’s why it was possible?”

Im Won-young didn’t hear the rest of the story.

“I tried to trick them, but ended up getting tricked myself. Haha.”

Despite the awkward situation, she seemed in good spirits.

“What did you originally want to do?”

“White Tiger. That was its natural disposition. But it was rejected and became something entirely different.”

“What did it become?”

“Ice Goblin.”

“Ice… goblin?”

A slightly odd answer.

Mo Jeong-gun chuckled.

“They exist. Goblins have always had a strange talent for playing tricks. Heh heh.”

Even if Im Won-young couldn’t fully understand, he could tell she was satisfied with Lee Hyun.

“And the tiger pretends not to notice, even while knowing. As you said, a child with no time to be bored.”

Suddenly, Mo Jeong-gun’s eyes glimmered with a peculiar light.

“If they show me something interesting next time… I might seriously consider it.”

Lee Hyun glanced back and smiled.

Team Leader Eom Gi-seon looked uneasy, and Assistant Seo Ae-ri remained silent.

They followed because she said so, but still looked bewildered.

‘Of course. I would feel the same.’

But this was also part of Lee Hyun’s plan.

“These are just disguises for the three dungeons adapted into my mythology. Looks just like an injeolmi bingsu, doesn’t it?”

Sun Wukong, perched above Lee Hyun, paused mid-bite of the bingsu and giggled.

‘Disguises, yes, but injeolmi bingsu?’

“It looks like red bean ice, cold on the outside, but the injeolmi inside is nutty and chewy, a nice twist.”

‘….’

Not wrong, but comparing it to a dessert felt odd.

“Heh heh heh. That doesn’t mean the disguises are useless. This is a good chance to reset your senses.”

‘Yes. That’s the plan.’

Lee Hyun first intended to check the newly acquired auxiliary abilities.

‘Which is why I chose this as the first dungeon.’

<Golden Axe, Silver Axe> was, as Eom Gi-seon feared, a very difficult dungeon to clear.

<Golden Axe, Silver Axe>

• Rank: 3 stars (estimated)

• Location: Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province

• Origin: A Korean folktale based on Aesop’s fable

• Plot: A woodcutter drops his axe in a pond; a mountain spirit tests his honesty by presenting gold and silver axes.

• Quest: Find the real axe among hundreds of identical ones.

• Death toll over 20 years: 91; entire overseas guilds have been wiped out attempting this.

• Current status: None

• Reason for failure: Too many identical axes, making the real one impossible to find.

• Note: Choosing the wrong axe triggers an attack from the mountain spirit, who resurrects like a zombie.

It’s no wonder it has remained unsolved for over 20 years.

Trying to clear it in a single day seems impossible.

But Lee Hyun never intended to lie.

As the Snow Queen once said: a leader’s actions affect the unity of the team.

Promises must be kept.

And…

‘Looks like Sun Wukong’s fragment is here too. I wonder what we’ll get.’

Lee Hyun opened the gate boldly, full of anticipation.

[Entered the dungeon!]

[Dungeon: Golden Axe, Silver Axe]
[You are woodcutters who accidentally dropped your axe in a pond.]
[The mountain spirit will soon ask which axe is yours. Find the real axe to clear the dungeon.]
[Success: Mountain Spirit’s Blessed Axe]
[Failure: Mountain Spirit’s Punishment]

The group climbed the densely forested mountain.

‘…Are you crazy? One dungeon a day? And these aren’t even 1-star dungeons—they’re long-unsolved ones.’

Eom Gi-seon frowned, following Lee Hyun.

He had been shocked when she first announced it, then realized the impossibility after thinking calmly.

He was from Astra, a top-tier awakened special forces unit.

Though discharged, he still bore the unit tattoo on his left shoulder.

He had witnessed countless skilled fighters, but no one could guarantee clearing a dungeon in one day.

‘Dungeon quests aren’t just about defeating a boss.’

Some required solving puzzles, others were time-consuming grind quests.

‘Some dungeons are labyrinths, taking over ten days to reach the boss room.’

In short, such a schedule was impossible unless you were a top-ranked player.

What about a long-unsolved dungeon, unsolved for 5 to 20 years?

‘If it were someone who only talks big, I’d be disappointed. What are they thinking?’

The thing was, Eom Gi-seon knew Lee Hyun was not that type of person.

He valued sincerity when swords clashed.

“Nuna.”

He tried to get close to Kim Min-jung and speak, but she replied coldly:

“This isn’t a private meeting, Eom Gi-seon. Use proper terms, and don’t call me that.”

Her gaze was filled with dissatisfaction.

Eom Gi-seon smiled widely.

“Understood, nuna. I’ll be careful.”

“….”

She ignored him; this was how he always was.

“So, what is the team leader thinking? Do you know?”

“I don’t. Ask the team leader.”

“I already did, but the answer was the same.”

“….”

“You don’t know either?”

“I don’t. Ask the team leader.”

“Wow, it’s like talking to MinjiGPT.”

Eom Gi-seon sighed, realizing nothing would come from her.

Soon, they reached a large pond.

The mountain spirit stood on the water’s surface.

“Oh, long time no see, woodcutters. You dropped your axe? Now, which one is yours?”

The mountain spirit smiled kindly and lightly waved its hand.

Ripples spread, and the dense forest transformed—all the trees became identical axes.

‘Just like the report said.’

Thousands of axes stretched before them.

They had to find the real one.

Choosing wrong would turn the spirit into a vengeful demon, attacking with great force.

Even defeating it would just cause another axe to transform into the spirit.

Thousands of spirits must be defeated to clear the dungeon.

This was why top-ranked players abandoned it.

“….”

Eom Gi-seon gripped his great sword silently.

Though half-broken, it was still his finest weapon.

He was ready to spring into action to protect Kim Min-jung if needed.

Then,

“This is the axe.”

Lee Hyun casually drew the nearby iron axe.

Expecting some complicated trick, Eom Gi-seon nearly vomited at the simplicity.

“Ah! That’s your axe! What an honest woodcutter!”

…What?

Caught off guard, Eom Gi-seon hesitated.

The axe Lee Hyun held dropped from above the mountain spirit’s head.

‘Crazy…!’

[Do-eok-shi-ni’s fury explodes!]

Ka-rurururung!

The mountain spirit was split in half—like firewood.

“…!?”

Splash!

Blood sprayed.

Ding!

Ding!

[Quest Completed.]

“…!!”

A series of incomprehensible events.

Eom Gi-seon gaped.

Perhaps… even the fifteen-day timeline was generously estimated.