Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 8

#8

Dungeon Journal

Chapter 9

#4. Underground Duke

Two weeks had passed since the dungeon’s upgrade. During that time, many things had happened in Naga’s dungeon. The most noticeable change was the appearance of beings entering and exiting the once-desolate dungeon.

“Good, good. That’s right.”

Kim Jin-woo, who had been spending a lot of time in the dungeon lately, said with a gentle smile.

“Ssh, ssh!”

As if answering him, a creature flicked its tongue. It was a Naga worker, who had appeared when the dungeon was upgraded to level 2 two weeks ago.

Its upper body was human, but its lower body was that of a snake, which wasn’t a pleasant sight. However, its eyes were filled with affection. It was natural, as it followed him like a mother, so its appearance didn’t matter.

“Ssh!”

Instead of greeting, the Naga worker flicked its tongue and then left the warehouse. The warehouse was also a new facility that appeared when the dungeon reached level 2.

The warehouse, which was initially empty, was now quite full of all sorts of rocks and roots that the Naga workers had collected.

Of course, most of them were useless, so Kim Jin-woo wasn’t impressed.

He had only stayed to watch the Nagas diligently going in and out of the dungeon’s warehouse.

Kim Jin-woo, who was about to close the warehouse door and leave, tilted his head for a moment. He had seen something sparkling in the darkness.

He reopened the half-closed warehouse door and was surprised to see the sparkling object.

A Down Gem was embedded among the dark and unattractive underground rocks.

Of course, its size was small, so its value didn’t seem to be much, but a precious item was mixed in with the warehouse’s contents that he had casually overlooked.

He picked up the small Down Gem, which was less than half the size of his little fingernail, and searched the entire warehouse with anticipation.

He suffered for over an hour, inhaling dust, but he didn’t care. He had found three Down Gems in the pile of stuff.

He searched for a while longer, but in the end, he had to be satisfied with obtaining four Down Gems.

“You’re here again.”

When he came to the appraisal shop he had visited when he sold the Down Gem before, the appraiser who had appraised the red Down Gem greeted him. Without further ado, he handed over the Down Gems he had obtained from the warehouse.

“Let’s see.”

The appraiser, who had been examining the Down Gems for a long time, said something unexpected instead of stating the appraisal price.

“The underground situation hasn’t been good lately. Where did you get these? All the guys from the lower levels have crawled up, and only veteran explorers can barely get in and out.”

It was an unexpected remark. He had encountered a wolf monkey that should only appear below the 5th floor on the 1st floor before, so he flinched without realizing it.

“So you knew. But you still went into the underground? Are you young and fearless, or are you just greedy for money?”

The elderly appraiser shook his head.

If he stayed there, the story would become long, so Kim Jin-woo frowned and asked for the appraisal price. But the appraiser said something unexpected again.

“We’re having a hard time getting Down Gems these days. I won’t ask where you got them, so how about trading exclusively with us?”

It seemed that the monsters from the lower levels were appearing on the upper levels quite often. From what he heard, ordinary explorers were reluctant to go deep.

“In the past, they would crawl down even if the country tried to stop them, but now they’re waiting for the situation to calm down. They’ve gotten fat.”

The appraiser rattled on without being asked. Kim Jin-woo listened to the story for a while and then pondered.

It had already been 5 years since he left the dungeon. During that time, all the dungeons on the upper levels had been conquered, and countless explorers were rummaging through the underground.

They had accumulated their own know-how, opened the shortest exploration routes, and even classified the beasts and creatures that appeared in each area. Compared to that, he was in a state close to ignorance.

He decided that it wouldn’t be bad to get to know someone like the talkative appraiser in front of him at a time like this.

“You thought well. There’s no place as trustworthy as us. We’ll give you a better price for the Down Gems you brought last time.”

One disadvantage was that this appraiser was too talkative. Thanks to him, he was able to learn about the changes in the underground, but it wasn’t easy.

“More than that, the appraisal price first…….”

The appraiser, who had been talking with saliva flying, clicked his tongue with a deflated look.

“Tsk, they say there’s no mole who isn’t impatient, and you’re the same.”

Instead of answering the appraiser’s words, Kim Jin-woo nudged the Down Gems. At the silent urging, the appraiser put on his loupe and began the appraisal with a displeased expression.

“Let’s see. Where did you get these high-quality ones? They’re small, but they’re incredibly high quality. But don’t expect too much. No matter how good the quality is, you can’t get a lot of money with this size. The big ones are 300, and the small ones are 200.”

It was a larger amount than he had expected. He showed a puzzled face at the higher-than-market price and then understood. Down Gems were already rare.

However, the creatures from the lower levels had pushed up, causing problems with the supply of Down Gems, so it was natural for the price to rise.

“It’s 900 in total, but I’ll give you 50 more. We’ll be seeing each other for a long time anyway, so think of it as a greeting.”

The appraiser arbitrarily added 50,000 won [approximately $45 USD]. He didn’t have to refuse, so he took the money and got up from his seat, and the appraiser’s face frowned.

“Still, we’re going to continue working together, but you’re not going to tell me your name?”

He thought it was true, so he told him his name. Then he asked the appraiser’s name, and the answer he got was ridiculous.

“Why would a young friend call an old man’s name? Just call me Mr. Baek. Everyone else calls me that anyway.”

He shook his head, feeling like he had lost out, and left the appraisal shop.

***

After that, Down Gems were also found in the piles of rocks brought by the Naga workers. Like the ones found before, they were small, but he was satisfied because it was unearned income.

The income he earned thanks to the Naga workers was a whopping 21 million won [approximately $19,000 USD].

At this point, Kim Jin-woo was slowly realizing that the dungeon was making money.

He didn’t know how to do anything other than rummage around underground, so he had a relatively stable source of income for him, who had been working part-time jobs.

In the meantime, he was able to build quite a friendship with Mr. Baek at the appraisal shop. Except for being talkative, Mr. Baek was a pretty good business partner. One day, he mentioned in passing.

“It seems that the dungeon entrances in our country will be temporarily restricted soon. That’s why the lousy explorers are making a fuss. Their livelihoods are about to be cut off. Dungeon Babies [inexperienced dungeon explorers] and real explorers don’t care anyway.”

“The situation on the 1st floor must be very bad.”

“The level of explorers has dropped a lot in the past 5 years. They’ve become parasites who can’t do anything without a manual. So it’s natural that they can’t adapt to the changes on the 1st floor. The country seems to be controlling the situation for a while because they need those freeloaders to make money.”

He narrowed his eyes at Mr. Baek’s scathing words.

The wolf monkey he had encountered alone was too cunning and ferocious for ordinary explorers to handle. Even Dungeon Babies couldn’t guarantee their lives with that many wolf monkeys.

With so many of those beasts, it was worth the country controlling the entrance to the underground.

“Well, compared to them, you’re a true explorer. I can tell by the fact that you’re constantly entering the underground even in this chaos.”

Mr. Baek even held up his thumb and praised him, and a sense of caution arose on his face.

There’s a saying that you should be careful of the other person when they say such sweet words as if they’ve applied honey. Moreover, he had to be even more careful because he couldn’t reveal the source of the Down Gems right away.

“I can’t see any useful guys. I think I can trust you to some extent.”

As expected, Mr. Baek seemed to want something. When he stared at him without answering, he smiled slyly.

“So, why don’t you do a job for me?”

Mr. Baek’s attitude was as if he was doing a great favor, but he shook his head without hesitation.

He was now slowly recognizing the importance of the dungeon, so there was no reason for him to take on other requests at the risk of danger.

“Think about it again. I can’t tell you the details until you agree, but if you succeed, you’re guaranteed to hit the jackpot.”

Mr. Baek urged him again, but he remained unmoved.

“No, what’s the problem? You’re going in and out of the dungeon anyway, even if it’s not this job. Wouldn’t it be nice to make some money on the way?”

Kim Jin-woo had been away from the underground for a long time, but he hadn’t lost his sense of reality enough to fall for such absurd words.

There’s no jackpot in the dungeon. There’s just a reward commensurate with the risk. If it’s a job that aims for a jackpot, it’s likely to be a high-risk request that kills many Dungeon Babies and others.

“Ugh, I was originally going to tell you after you agreed… Just listen.”

Seeing Mr. Baek desperately grabbing him, he was once again convinced. This job was definitely dangerous. If it was a really good deal, he wouldn’t be so desperate to find people.

No matter how chaotic the situation on the 1st floor was, there would always be drifters who risked their lives for a jackpot.

He got up from his seat and was about to turn around when he froze.

“Hell Spiders have been sighted on the 1st floor. You know what Hell Spiders are, right? How many people died because of them during the dungeon war. But those terrible guys have appeared. They were found on the 1st floor, even though they were only found in the deep layers above the 10th floor.”

Thinking that he was interested in the story, Mr. Baek quickly explained.

“Hell Spiders are difficult to deal with, but as you know, they all carry Down Gems. The grade is also a bit high. If things go well and you catch just one, you can earn enough money to change your fate…….”

“Where were they sighted?”

Seeing his face, which was clearly different from before, distorted like a demon, Mr. Baek closed his mouth.

But only for a moment, Mr. Baek was happy just that Kim Jin-woo was interested in the story.

“It seems you’re in the mood to listen to the story now. They seem to have been found not far from the Paju Gate. They’re moving in groups somewhere.”

Hell Spiders, the cursed legion of the Underground Duke, had reappeared in the world. And it happened at this point when he became the owner of the dungeon.

“The team… has the team been formed?”

Mr. Baek’s words were unreserved, as if he thought he had completely won him over.

“For now, some people have gathered, but they’re all duds. If we stir things up for nothing and rumors spread, flies will swarm, so we need someone reliable.”

Perhaps thinking that he had completely fallen for it, Mr. Baek’s words were unreserved.

“Don’t you have a family to support? I heard the situation hasn’t been very good lately…….”

Bang!

At that moment, the table between Mr. Baek and Kim Jin-woo was smashed. Seeing the solid wooden table split in half and collapsing, Mr. Baek closed his mouth.

“Did you investigate me?”

“Ahem. I’m sorry. I needed to make sure you were trustworthy.”

“You probably wanted to find out where I got these high-quality Down Gems.”

He muttered coldly, and his polite appearance was nowhere to be seen. He snarled with a ferocious face. But Mr. Baek was only calm, as if he had something to believe in.

“The guys who roll around in this world live rough lives, so their parents and siblings are all stabbed and killed. They have nothing to protect, so they have nothing to fear. Those guys have no credibility. But you have decent parents and a cute younger sibling. People who have something to protect tend to be careful. You wouldn’t break your promise easily.”

It was a clear threat. Kim Jin-woo’s distorted face turned cold. His expression, which was like frost, was even more eerie than if he had been angry.

“If… anything happens to my family…….”

He said each word clearly, as if spitting them out.

“You’ll see exactly what happens when a Dungeon Baby goes crazy.”

It was different from a threat. There were too many Dungeon Babies who had risen from the ground and caused bloodshed because they couldn’t adapt to society.

Mr. Baek, who had been calm until now, looked at him again this time and nodded hastily with a pale face.

“I’ll go. I’m sorry about the table.”

He left the appraisal shop, leaving a greeting as usual, as if he had regained his composure in that short time.

Mr. Baek, who was left alone in the place where he had disappeared, looked at the broken wooden table and made a disgusted expression.

Kim Jin-woo’s face was stiff as he left the appraisal shop.

Bad memories came to mind. No, it was a memory that should be called a nightmare. The image of the monster that had swallowed countless people who were like brothers who had grown up together in that world where everything was only darkness was clearly drawn in front of his eyes.

He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes tightly. A passerby, surprised by the sharpness, looked at him and disappeared as if running away.

Kim Jin-woo’s face was distorted like a demon.

That day, Kim Jin-woo had a nightmare for the first time in a long time.

In his dream, he was not the Dungeon Baby Kim Jin-woo, but an unnamed cave dweller, and there were many people around him.

And they were soon trampled by huge spiders and eventually killed by them.

The Underground Duke, one of the culprits who caused the Underground War and the enemy who ruined him, was watching them with a satisfied smile. The Underground Duke was still ferocious and powerful, and he was insignificant.

Kim Jin-woo, who woke up from his dream with a groan, groped his body. He gritted his teeth, recalling the six eyes of the still vivid Underground Duke.

There was no time to be doing this. Kim Jin-woo opened the portal.

***

“Meow.”

Kim Jin-woo’s face brightened a little as he watched the cat’s back as it jumped out of his arms. With this, he was able to know that he was not the only one who could pass through the portal.

He watched the cat peeking over the wide-open gate and disappearing into the darkness, and then he got up.

[Naga’s Dungeon] (Activated)

□Owner Kim Jin-woo (Level 5)

□Level 2 Dungeon (Size 9X9)

□Durability 1050/1050

□Facilities

*Owner Room (Level 1)

*Portal (Activated 23:58:11 0/1)

*Gate (100/100)

*Warehouse (346/500)

*Naga’s Nest (4/10)

-Level 3 facilities must be upgraded to be activated.

□Troops (4/10)

*Naga Worker (Level 1) 4/1

The empty warehouse was already more than half full. It was the result of four Naga workers diligently moving around. But it was still not enough.

Kim Jin-woo was lost in thought.

He had been too lax for a while. It seemed that he had lost his sense of direction after being away from the underground for 5 years.

Thanks to Mr. Baek, he was able to realize that he had become too lazy. The knife in his heart, which had become dull, was sharpened.

His body trembled just thinking about the Hell Spiders, the hateful beings. The images of those who were screaming and begging were still vivid in his eyes.

And he saw the hideous spider, the Underground Duke, smiling happily as he watched them.

“Hoo…”

Kim Jin-woo, who had been breathing for a long time, picked up a Down Gem smaller than a fingernail that had been collected while he was away and headed to the owner’s room.

As if the hesitation he had had until now was a lie, he threw the Down Gem onto the altar without any hesitation.

The moment the reality he had been ignoring because he had no strength came close to him, Kim Jin-woo changed. His eyes were burning like fire.

[The lowest grade Down Gem has been offered to the altar. If used to upgrade the dungeon’s grade, nine more Down Gems of the same grade will be required in the future.]

[The higher the grade of the Down Gem, the better the efficiency.]

[You can hire new troops using the Down Gem offered to the altar.]

“Damn it!”

He cursed as he looked at the messages that came up in succession. It was as if the hideous spiders were giggling and mocking him from afar.

He barely calmed himself down and then made up his mind and sat on the Naga’s throne.

“Hire troops…….”

Since the upgrade was already wrong, he focused on the last message. As if answering his words, letters filled his eyes.

[Summonable Troops]

□Naga Worker (Level 1) (1)

*A worker who collects resources and takes on hard work. Its combat ability is the lowest among the Nagas.

□Naga Soldier (Level 1) (1)

*A guard who protects the dungeon. The fearless Naga soldier is only specialized in combat.

□Naga Maid (Level 1) (2)

*Collects the chores of the dungeon. It has high intelligence and is efficient at work. However, as a non-combatant, it has no combat ability.

He was lost in thought as he looked at the list of summonable troops that appeared in a row. He wondered which Naga he should summon to help him even a little in the current situation.

After thinking for a long time, he finally made a decision.

“I…….”