Chapter 61: The Fisher of Hellhole

This is Director Bong Joon-ho, often called Bongtail for his meticulous attention to detail.

When his movie “Parasite” became an unprecedented global hit, the food called “Jjapaguri” spread across the world as a trend.

Bong Joon-ho’s filmography boasts many outstanding works besides “Parasite”.

Whether it’s his personal taste or just a habit, it’s hard to say, but in his films, a variety of foods serve as cinematic devices.

In “Parasite,” it was Hanwoo Jjapaguri. In “The Host,” it was ramen. In “Okja,” sausages.

Perhaps, through these foods, he sought to highlight the social criticism embedded in each film.

Of all his movies, the one Yuseong personally cherishes the most is “Snowpiercer”.

No other work by Director Bong Joon-ho carries such significant implications regarding food.

Within the small society of the Train, the upper class enjoys sushi, while the tail section’s lower class survives on Energy Bars.

Everyone in the lower class clings to life with these Energy Bars, made from who knows what ingredients.

Later, after a great upheaval, “Snowpiercer” was re-evaluated.

Rumors even spread that he had predicted a future where humanity lived on Energy Bars.

Of course, that’s unlikely, but for modern people who actually survive on Energy Bars, watching “Snowpiercer” sends shivers down their spine.

Yuseong was no different.

When he tore open the Energy Bar wrapper, its contents looked eerily similar to what he saw in the movie.

It resembled a block of yokan, but it was more opaque and dry, a brown lump.

Yuseong brought it to his nose and sniffed.

“…I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

A harsh, chemical stench rushed up his nostrils.

Since he was allergic, he didn’t bother to taste it, but he knew it tasted terrible.

Aside from a slight bitter aftertaste, it was almost tasteless, followed by a raw, grassy bitterness.

Five percent of the ingredients in the government-issued Energy Bar were preservatives, chemical additives, and sweeteners.

The other ninety-five percent consisted of Nectar, the sap from the World Tree Roots harvested from Layers 1 to 3.

Perhaps the mystery surrounding its main ingredient, Nectar, made it even more like the movie.

“Until we get the Cellic Fruit Cultivation Method, it’ll stay like this.”

Thanks to hunting the Serpent, Yuseong was promoted to A-Rank Explorer even before finding the Camellia Colony of Cellic Fruits.

If he started cultivating Cellic Fruit later, he could probably improve this Energy Bar.

But that was something for the future.

At the present moment, the Energy Bar—especially the government-issued one—was…

“It’s basically trash.”

Jang Dojin chimed in.

“Yeah, it’s trash.”

“Then why did you ask us to bring it?”

Yuseong, who normally wouldn’t even look at an Energy Bar, had ordered them to bring some along.

Even the onlookers couldn’t suppress their curiosity and interjected.

“Uh, Mr. Yuseong, don’t you usually eat Monster meat?”

“I thought you couldn’t eat Energy Bars… Was that a lie?”

At least among the onlookers gathered here, there wasn’t a soul who hadn’t heard rumors about Yuseong.

Some even looked betrayed.

Energized by the crowd’s response, Jang Dojin egged him on.

“Explain yourself, hyung!”

“Stop teasing me.”

Yuseong said that and suddenly pulled out a sharp Awl.

“Yikes!”

No one expected him to draw a weapon, so Jang Dojin stepped back in alarm.

But naturally, Yuseong hadn’t pulled out the Awl to stab Jang Dojin.

“Why would I eat this stuff?”

Yuseong stabbed the Energy Bar with the Awl.

Then, he bent the tip of the Awl to make it look like a fishing hook.

He pulled out a Rope from his bag and tied it on, completing a crude Improvised Fishing Hook.

“Wha—Whoa! You’re going fishing?”

“Yeah.”

Only then did the onlookers nod in understanding.

Energy Bars are made from Nectar extracted from the World Tree Roots.

In the Abyss, there are Monsters that cling to those World Tree Roots, sucking out the sap to survive.

That means, an Energy Bar made from that nectar could serve as excellent bait for any Monster.

The quick-witted Explorers realized this and nodded in admiration at Yuseong’s idea.

Yet, Yuseong didn’t head for the shore.

Instead, he moved toward the center of the island.

“Uh, hyung… There’s nowhere to fish over there.”

“There is. It’s fine.”

Other Explorers had the same thought as Jang Dojin, but Yuseong was acting with utter confidence.

With just Yuseong moving, people began following after him in a group.

The place he stopped was right in the middle of the island.

At the island’s center was a pitch-black hole descending deep underground.

Until now, the Explorers who weren’t interested in Yuseong had all been lingering around the vicinity of that hole.

They turned and stared, perplexed by Yuseong’s unexpected approach.

Nearby stood a sign that some kind soul had written and propped up.

[Clear Gate]

[You won’t die if you jump in]

No matter how you looked at it, the hole was so deep, it seemed impossible to survive a jump.

Yet the sign’s message was true.

As proof, an Explorer who had been here from the beginning suddenly leapt into the hole.

“Urahhhhhh!”

Who knew how deep that hole was—the screaming continued for a long time.

Then, those who appeared to be his companions followed, rushing to the edge like a Lemming Swarm and diving in after him.

In an instant, three or four Explorers vanished into the hole.

Seeing this, Yuseong smiled.

“Heh, it’s as intense as ever.”

“You speak as if you’ve been here before.”

“I saw it on the Internet.”

The most famous Clear Route from the 12th Layer to the 13th Layer is this one.

Nicknamed “Hellhole.”

If you overcome your fear and jump in, you can go straight to the 13th Layer—it’s a one-way Entry Gate.

Yuseong sat on the edge of the Gate, dangling his legs over.

He began slowly lowering the Energy Bar tied to the Rope.

Someone among the onlookers seemed to have figured out Yuseong’s intent.

“No way, you aren’t—”

Since the man’s voice was so loud, Yuseong turned to look.

A middle-aged man in a faded Suit, worn-out cap, Utility Vest, and with something that looked unmistakably like a Fishing Rod slung across his back.

He looked every bit like an angler obsessed with catching carp he couldn’t even eat.

“You’re trying to fish for that thing! Hmmm…!”

“Who are you?”

Before Yuseong could respond, another bystander answered for him.

“Park Tae-gong… That’s Park Tae-gong.”

Upon hearing the nickname “Tae-gong,” Yuseong remembered something.

A famous Explorer known for staking out the 10th to 12th Layers.

Though only a Rank 8, he’s renowned for Sea-type Monster Subjugation.

He hadn’t applied to join the Serpent Subjugation Party, which was odd, but apparently, he’d been here all along.

“Answer me. Are you trying to catch that thing?”

“If by ‘that thing,’ you mean the one hiding in this Gate—yes.”

At Yuseong’s words, Park’s hand trembled slightly.

“Brave young man, the ‘Teeth in the Hole’… But with a fishing line, it’s hopeless… No, maybe with a Rope…”

When the name “Teeth in the Hole” was mentioned, even the bystanders gasped in awe.

Jang Dojin, looking utterly baffled, went pale.

“I thought that was just an Abyss legend… Is ‘Teeth in the Hole’ real?”

Among Explorers, there’s a well-known story.

When jumping into the 12th Layer Clear Gate, never jump too close to the center.

If you leap near the very middle of the hole, something lurking in the walls will snatch your body as you fall.

In the early days of Abyss Conquest, several people died or were injured this way, and even now, someone gets hurt each year.

Naturally, countless theories arose.

Some said a Monster lived inside the Gate.

Others claimed it was a ghost, or something supernatural.

But the main consensus was less dramatic.

It was simply that there are Rocky Outcrops sticking out from the walls.

The idea was that people got caught on those when jumping in, tearing their skin.

Falling from such a height, your speed would be enormous.

Even with a Suit, if you got snagged on a Rocky Outcrop, you could get hurt.

In any case, because of such rumors, people are always cautious when jumping into this Gate.

“But ‘Teeth in the Hole’… exists!”

What Park Tae-gong claimed, however, was that a Monster truly lurked within.

“Teeth in the Hole” referred to that Monster.

“Come on, that’s nonsense! Old man, quit bragging!”

One onlooker scoffed.

“I’ve gone through here plenty of times, and there’s nothing there. The only idiots who get hurt are the ones caught on rocks, and they spread rumors out of embarrassment.”

Several Explorers nodded at his words.

First-timers might be scared by the stories, but among this crowd, there were those who’d jumped through the Gate multiple times.

None of them had ever seen anything like “Teeth in the Hole.”

But Park Tae-gong declared with a serious expression.

“I got bitten by that thing. I can even show you the scar.”

“What? Yeah, right. Bet it’s just an old wound from something else.”

Park Tae-gong said no more.

He pulled up his Suit to reveal his abdomen.

“Ugh! Is this guy crazy?!”

A few female Explorers turned away in disgust, but Park was unfazed.

“Look!”

Th—the—

Even the man who’d been heckling him fell silent in shock when he saw the wound.

A long scar stretched from just above Park’s navel to his back.

It looked as if it had been sliced by a saw blade.

“As you can see, that’s no wound from a Rocky Outcrop.”

A jagged, twisting scar from his navel to his back.

It was hard to believe a mere outcrop could cause such a wound—more like he’d been bitten by the massive jaws of a Monster.

“If I hadn’t slowed down just before reaching the bottom, I would have been ripped in two the moment it bit me.”

“The teeth were like sawblades. It wasn’t a ghost. It was definitely a Monster.”

The atmosphere instantly chilled.

Park Tae-gong, now the center of attention, continued.

“I tried to get revenge. I tried to catch it again. But I never saw it again. It’s a crafty beast…”

“Uh, caught it.”

“I hope that guy—Yuseong—can catch it, but… wait, what?!”

Yuseong had just declared that he’d caught something.

Had he really managed to hook that legendary Monster with such a crude Improvised Fishing Hook?

Not just Park Tae-gong, but every Explorer’s eyes were on Yuseong now.

Yuseong was straining against the Rope, engaged in a tug of war.

The Rope was stretched tight, about to snap.

“Isn’t it just caught on a Rocky Outcrop?”

As soon as someone said that,

The Rope, stretched to its limit, suddenly jerked violently.

He lost it.

“Hmm, I guess it won’t be that easy.”

Clicking his tongue, Yuseong wound the Rope back in.

As he reeled it in, he saw that the part of the Rope where he’d tied the bait had come up.

“Ohhh!”

“It’s real. It’s really real.”

The Awl he’d used as a hook was grotesquely bent.

The Energy Bar he’d used as bait was gone, and only the mangled, twisted Awl remained.

It was clear it hadn’t been snagged on a Rocky Outcrop.

There were definite marks showing that something sharp had bitten it.

“Yeah… I guess ordinary fishing isn’t enough to catch that thing.”

Park Tae-gong muttered in disappointment.

He’d proven that the creature lurked below, but actually capturing it was still impossible.

Regardless of Park’s disappointment, Yuseong continued measuring the Rope.

“98 meters, almost at the bottom.”

The Rope he’d dangled was 98 meters long.

This small hole was deeper than the height of a typical apartment building.

And according to Yuseong, at 98 meters, it was almost at the bottom.

“That direction… Dojin, give me a Light Stick.”

“Ah, yes, hyung.”

Yuseong received several Fire Lighting Flares from Jang Dojin and ignited them all.

Tssssss.

Three Light Sticks flared red as they lit up.

Yuseong nudged them into the hole with his foot.

Surely, there was a bottom, but since it was nearly 100 meters down, the Light Sticks looked like tiny red dots far away.

Yuseong then stretched his limbs and began Stretching.

“What are you doing?” Park Tae-gong’s eyes widened, sensing Yuseong’s intention.

As Yuseong clipped the Rope onto the Harness Hook on his Suit, his purpose became clear.

“What else? Now that I know the depth and the location, it’s time to catch it.”

Contrary to Park Tae-gong’s expectations, Yuseong hadn’t tried to literally fish for “Teeth in the Hole” with the Rope.

His real purpose was to determine the exact depth at which the creature lived, and which part of the 5-meter diameter hole’s wall it clung to.

By sacrificing just one Energy Bar, Yuseong had pinpointed the creature’s location.

Now, with the Light Sticks thrown down, the light-hating creature would be going berserk at the bottom.

Yuseong handed one end of the Rope to Jang Dojin.

“Hold tight using the Armored Giant’s Protection.”

“Is this… is this safe?”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be tasty.”

“That’s not what I meant… Oh, fine, I get it!”

If it was Jang Dojin, he could be trusted not to let go of Yuseong in an emergency.

After instructing Jang Dojin on the details, Yuseong addressed the onlookers.

“Don’t come down for five minutes.”

Then he readied himself to jump.

No one dared to say a word.

“If you don’t want to get hurt—”

Yuseong sprinted for the Hellhole.

“That’s dangerous! You’re insane!”

Park Tae-gong tried to stop him, but Yuseong had already leapt into the pitch-black hole.

As the dizzying sensation of free fall enveloped him, the wind whipped violently against his face.

Whoosh.

A thrill surged through his body as he defied human instincts and plummeted freely.

Even then, Yuseong smiled.

No one else knew yet, but only Yuseong was aware of the creature’s true identity.

“Teeth in the Hole.”

No, that’s no mere set of teeth.

Teeth don’t leave wounds like that.

What left that horrific scar on Park Tae-gong’s belly was the massive pincer of a Crustacean Monster.

“Lobster…!”

Down there, beneath him, lived a creature far larger than a human—a Giant Lobster straight out of fantasy.