Isolated Island (7)
If the civilians had entered through the same route we did, none of them would’ve survived.
Even we barely made it out alive using all our skills.
It would have been impossible for ordinary humans.
Then how did all these people manage to come in safely and even settle here?
“So there was another entrance.”
“Hm? You folks came in through a different way?”
“We got swallowed.”
The old man’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“You’re lucky to be alive, then. We only found corpses there.”
No wonder.
I turned my head and asked I-Yul,
“You didn’t see anything when we were looking for the Gate Core?”
“That’s strange. I didn’t see any hole that big.”
If it was large enough for people to pass through, there’s no way he would’ve missed it—even if he was only scanning from above. Especially when he was focused on finding the core.
“We only noticed the hole after we fell in. Looking back, I think it was probably covered with vines or something.”
That made sense. After twenty years, it must’ve become even harder to spot.
“Then our goal should be to find that hole and get out through it.”
I came to a conclusion.
It would be far safer than trying to escape through the creature’s mouth again. If it acted like some kind of breathing hole, we could time it when it opened toward the surface.
That way, we wouldn’t risk being crushed by deep-sea pressure.
“We’ve tried finding it a few times ourselves, but it’s no easy task. You won’t find it quickly.”
“You folks must have had to avoid monsters too, and your range of movement was limited.”
But our situation was different—we could fight, and we could fly. The conditions were overwhelmingly in our favor.
“Since the important discussion is done, we’ll get moving. Elder, please make sure the villagers don’t panic.”
We stood up. My mind was a mess from all the new information, but there was no time to rest.
We had to think about how to reach the surface, what level of monsters lived here, where the missing Gate Core might be, and how to find Min Hajun…
The old man didn’t stop us. He seemed lost in thought as well.
“You’re back! So when are we getting out of here?”
Outside, a familiar middle-aged man was pacing nervously. I answered calmly,
“Elder Changkyung will explain soon, but it’ll take some time to escape.”
“You mean you didn’t come all prepared?”
“We need to gather more information first. By the way, have the people who went outside returned yet?”
There was no time to keep explaining the same thing over and over.
“Uh, well… they should be back by now.”
“Which way did they go?”
“Over there.”
We headed in the direction he pointed. Under a glowing crystal, the twins who’d helped us before were playing.
“Oh! It’s the big sister!”
“And the big brother too!”
Their bright smiles were adorable—and somehow heartbreaking.
To these kids, the inside of a monster’s body must be the whole world.
They probably had never felt warm sunlight or played freely outside.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting for the aunties and uncles who went out. We’re playing while we wait.”
“Look! My dad made me this toy!”
He proudly showed me a little wooden airplane. It was clumsy but full of care.
“Do you know what that is?”
“Yup! Dad said it can fly in the sky and even go outside this place!”
The boy lifted it high, shouting proudly.
“Seoa! Oh dear, I hope my daughter isn’t bothering you…”
A man came running toward us from a distance—her father, judging by the way he spoke. Even though he looked older than us, he was overly polite.
“Not at all. Your daughter really loves her dad. You’re quite handy, by the way.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a waste of precious materials, really.”
But the gentle way he stroked his daughter’s hair said otherwise.
“By any chance, do you know when we might—”
“Oh! Auntie’s back!”
The girl suddenly ran off toward a group of young men and women approaching us.
I quickly followed, hoping they’d found something useful.
“Do you know what we found today?”
They sounded excited—like they’d really discovered something.
“We’d love to hear it.”
“Uh… who are you?”
“People trying to escape from here, same as you.”
As expected, they looked confused, but I didn’t bother explaining further. What mattered was what they had found.
“When we picked it up, it melted right away, but it was definitely ice.”
They said they’d never seen anything like it here before—a clear trace of something unusual.
“Where did you find it?”
“Uh… near the upper stomach.”
So it drifted that far.
They must’ve gone farther than we had. Now that I had a rough idea, it was time to move.
“Could one of you guide us there?”
“Right now?”
“If you need rest, you can just tell us the way.”
They’d just come back, after all—they must’ve been exhausted. And since we’d be searching for Min Hajun while exploring the area, we wouldn’t be back soon either.
“It’s a bit complicated to explain. You’ll have trouble finding it alone… you have to take quite a detour.”
“Are there blocked paths?”
“There are areas where monsters appear a lot.”
So—safe but long, or short but dangerous.
I thought for a moment. We didn’t need to waste mana fighting unnecessarily, but…
“…We’ll take the shortest route.”
Not because I was worried about Min Hajun.
It just made sense to search the places these people couldn’t reach.
That’s when one of the men who’d been silent stepped forward.
“Then I’ll guide you.”
He had messy black hair and sharp, fighter-like eyes.
But the moment he did, the mood shifted. The others glanced at each other nervously and began edging away.
“Y-yeah, it’s best if he takes you. We’ll, uh, be going now…”
They disappeared in a hurry, clearly wanting nothing to do with him.
“Shall we go?”
The man didn’t seem to care. He spoke calmly, not even glancing at the others.
“Yes, the sooner the better.”
I matched his tone. Min Hajun was probably still moving too—it would be best to find him before he got too far.
“Then I’ll grab some rations. Do you two need any?”
In the rush of events, I’d completely forgotten how hungry I was. The last thing I’d eaten was a chocolate bar.
“Yes, please. Thank you.”
He nodded silently and disappeared.
“You sure you don’t want to rest first?” I-Yul asked once everyone was gone.
“What?”
“We’ve been running nonstop. I’m fine, but…”
“Are you worried about me?”
“If you pass out midway, I’ll be the one stuck carrying you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Did he really think I was weaker than a normal person? No way.
When I gave him a puzzled look, he shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
The man returned sooner than expected, holding a small pouch.
“I’ve packed everything you might need.”
“Thanks.”
“There’s also a glow crystal inside—use it when you go out.”
He meant the luminous shards they used for light. I took one out and tossed it to I-Yul, who caught it easily.
“You’ll probably take point, so keep it.”
If something attacked, it was better to have no one in front of him. I positioned the man in the middle and took the rear.
“This way, please…”
And so we stepped into the darkness of the creature’s innards.
The operation to find Min Hajun—and the exit—had begun.
Meanwhile…
“…”
Min Hajun exhaled after turning the frozen monster into powder. The air was so cold that even his breath seemed to crystallize into tiny flakes.
Though he couldn’t see it.
Normally, he would’ve held back to avoid collateral damage—but there was no reason to now. No time, either.
His mind was filled with only one person.
The faint, weakening movement of her body, her closing eyes—they were still vivid in his memory.
And that moment, when he almost caught her hand but missed by an inch. He could still feel the brush of her hair on his fingertips.
She’s alive.
She wasn’t someone who’d go down easily.
Hunters lived always one step away from death—but somehow, he knew.
Min Hajun drifted through the stagnant current, into the creature’s stomach where swallowed remains gathered. He hadn’t escaped earlier because he’d hoped—just maybe—he’d find Yuha there.
But there was no trace of her. Not even a clue.
Which only proved she’d managed to escape before reaching that point.
In the now-silent dark, he gauged his direction. There was no time to hesitate.
The darkness didn’t hinder him. Not anymore.
