Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 11

Dungeon Expedition Log – Part 12

# 12

Dungeon Expedition Log

Part 12

Unlike the Dungeon Babies, whose backpacks contained only the blades and armor necessary for battle, the average explorers’ packs were dauntingly large.

With the Dungeon Babies’ personal belongings on their backs as well, they looked like pack mules.

In reality, their treatment wasn’t great. It was a tedious march with hardly any skirmishes, likely because the advance team had already swept through the area, and they constantly had to cater to the Dungeon Babies’ whims.

It couldn’t have been easy.

The luggage on their backs weighed nearly 40 kilograms [88 pounds]. Their faces were already etched with exhaustion as they scanned the path ahead and moved back and forth along the formation.

Perhaps that’s why the tired explorers, after marching for a full six hours, were so flustered by the sudden attack of the whiptail lizards.

“H-Help me!”

One explorer screamed, unable to even think about dodging the giant lizard that leaped from the ceiling. He was pinned under his backpack and struggling.

The formation quickly dissolved into chaos as the remaining explorers threw down their packs.

“Get ready for battle!”

Meanwhile, the lizard extended its long tongue toward the explorer pinned under the backpack.

The tongue shot out, extending over 2 meters [6.5 feet], wrapping around the explorer’s body, the protrusions on its slimy surface as sharp as awls [small pointed tools used for making holes in leather or wood].

“Kkeuaaaack!”

The poor explorer’s skin was instantly scraped away and torn off.

“It’s a whiptail lizard! Watch out for its tongue and tail!”

At Lee Jun-yeong’s command, the Dungeon Babies and explorers quickly reorganized and surrounded the lizard.

“Keep it in check! Spearmen, aim for its armpits!”

At her shout, some of the explorers pulled out batons from their sides, extended them, and stabbed the lizard’s flanks.

There were several more instructions after that, but not a single word was considerate of the explorer screaming, entangled in the lizard’s tongue.

“Not the hind legs! The forelegs!”

No, rather, they seemed to welcome the lizard’s tongue binding him like that.

At her command, some of the explorers stabbed the foremost of the six legs. The specially made spears didn’t inflict fatal wounds on the whiptail lizard’s hide, but they steadily made scratches.

However, none of the Dungeon Babies readily stepped forward. It seemed they were leaving this level of Under Beast to the explorers.

The screaming explorer was already limp and motionless, perhaps dead. While twisting its body from side to side from the spearmen’s attacks, the lizard finally succeeded in swallowing the explorer whole.

“Damn it, looks like we’re starting with something that won’t even make us money.”

Their true feelings were revealed in that one statement.

“Huh?”

As Lee Jun-yeong gave instructions and the Dungeon Babies retreated to the back, a shadow shot out like an arrow.

It was Kim Jin-woo.

Before anyone could stop him, he rushed straight at the lizard.

He swung a large alloy steel sword, which he had drawn at some point, and the lizard’s neck muscles split open, and hot blood poured out.

“Aim for the wound!”

Listening to his words, the explorers quickly swarmed in and stabbed their spears into the cracked skin. The lizard, screaming and thrashing, eventually collapsed, its tongue lolling out, from the spear barrage.

The battle was over. Thanks to Kim Jin-woo’s intervention, there were no additional casualties, but the explorer who was initially attacked had already been swallowed.

The Dungeon Babies watched him with strange eyes as he shook the blood off his sword and sheathed it. Lee Jun-yeong spoke to him as he returned to his original position with a nonchalant expression.

“You’re quite skilled. The whiptail lizard has tough skin.”

Kim Jin-woo didn’t answer.

“But please follow instructions next time. Showing off your strength is fine, but we don’t want to be short-handed when we really need it.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

Kim Jin-woo frowned and asked at her words, which were gentle enough not to be called a reprimand. She shook her head and said briefly.

“No. It’s just as I said. More like concern. And with that level of threat, they can handle it on their own, even with some damage. If they can’t even do that, they should give up the title of explorer. Don’t you think?”

The explorers flinched at her words and glanced at her. Then, as if to show her, they busily moved their hands, cleaning up the scene.

It was as if they were trying to prove their usefulness in that way.

None of them mourned or felt sorry for the dead explorer. Some even seemed happy that their share would increase.

Kim Jin-woo stared at them for a moment before turning his head. His eyes seemed to fix on something in the air.

[You have won the battle. You have inflicted critical damage on the enemy and made a great contribution, but the opponent was too weak to gain experience.]

He almost showed his surprise because the message window was visible even outside the labyrinth. He cautiously looked around, but no one seemed to have seen the message floating in the air.

He let out a sigh without realizing it and then put on a nonchalant face.

“Forget the body! Let’s move out!”

The group sprayed a special solution to remove the blood smell from their bodies and began to move forward again.

There were two more attacks before they reached the campsite.

But they were such low-level creatures that they couldn’t even assess the group’s strength, so the explorers took care of them.

The explorers bustled about preparing the camp, and some men took their places at the edge of the concave labyrinth clearing.

“I heard the explorers’ standards have dropped, and it’s true. They supposedly picked them carefully, but there are already casualties.”

“It’s been 10 years since the war ended. Those with combat experience have all made their fortune and left, and the ones who are left are either rookies or crazy.”

“Looks like we won’t be able to salvage anyone useful this time either.”

“Well, we’ll have to watch a little longer.”

It seemed the Dungeon Babies were planning to recruit useful explorers through this underground expedition, as they were whispering among themselves.

“I’m worried we’ll end up doing all the work ourselves in the end.”

“Don’t say unlucky things. We have the advance team anyway. They have a higher proportion of explorers.”

“More importantly, what about that guy? He’s level 7, but he seems as strong as the captain.”

“How can you tell just from him swinging his sword once against a whiptail lizard?”

Kim Jin-woo, who had been listening to their conversation, closed his eyes and tried to sleep. And so, the first day in the underground passed.

***

It had already been a week since the group entered the underground. Unlike the relatively bright and open 1st floor, it was now dark all around.

The explorers put on night vision goggles and moved through the wide passage and the equally high, dark ceiling.

It was strange that they hadn’t met the advance team yet, even after passing the entrance to the 2nd floor, where they were supposed to meet, but the schedule itself was going smoothly.

There were no further casualties, and they even managed to obtain a few low-grade Down Jams [items dropped by monsters in dungeons] along the way.

“I hope something else comes out.”

“Me too. I wish we could get some more Down Jams this time.”

Kim Jin-woo sighed inwardly as he listened to the explorers leading the way. They were like moths drawn to a flame, chattering like that even as they screamed during battles.

“Something’s wrong.”

The explorer Kim Jeong-tae, who was at the front of the formation, tracing the tracks, returned to the group and said.

“I thought we were almost catching up yesterday, but now the distance has widened again.”

As he said that, he looked beyond the passage with an uneasy expression.

“The marching speed has suddenly increased.”

There was an undeniable anxiety in his voice, but Lee Jun-yeong was rather pleased.

“Increase the speed. It seems the advance team has found the spider bastards.”

She ordered Kim Jeong-tae to take the front and led the group. The ordinary explorers breathed heavily at the near-jogging pace, but the group didn’t slow down.

“There was a battle here!”

Kim Jeong-tae, who was walking a few steps ahead, stopped the group and said as he felt around the floor.

“How far?”

“Less than 30 minutes.”

There was sticky mucus between Kim Jeong-tae’s fingers as he spread his index and thumb. Lee Jun-yeong looked at him and asked about the advance team’s situation.

“I can’t tell. It doesn’t seem like there’s any damage, but I’m not sure.”

His tone was a bit unsure, but Lee Jun-yeong didn’t care at all.

“From now on, advance with caution! They are good at camouflage! Watch the ceiling and walls!”

At her words, the Dungeon Babies all drew their weapons. She also took out a wide, 15-centimeter-thick [6-inch] sword.

“We’re lucky. It seems the advance team is already chasing the spiders.”

“Maybe they’re being chased.”

At that moment, Kim Jin-woo stepped forward. The atmosphere, which had been excited about the upcoming profits, instantly cooled down.

“That’s unlikely. There are quite a few high-level Dungeon Babies mixed in with the advance team.”

She looked uncomfortable, perhaps a little annoyed by the discouraging words. Kim Jin-woo didn’t care, even as the group’s eyes narrowed. He lowered his stance as he followed the traces that Kim Jeong-tae had been examining and said coldly.

“Is that so? That’s unfortunate. It seems they’ve already entered the spiders’ bellies.”

With those words, he drew his crossbow and immediately pulled the trigger towards the darkness beyond the passage. A sharp whistling sound was heard, and then the crossbow bolt shot out into the darkness. And the sound soon stopped.

“It’s a spider web. It seems we’ve entered their hunting ground.”

The crossbow bolt, specially treated to glow so its trajectory could be seen, was hanging in the air.

“Prepare for battle!”

Lee Jun-yeong was quick to assess the situation, as befitting a level 8 Dungeon Baby. At her command, the explorers all threw down their backpacks and took off their night vision goggles.

Soon, handheld flares were launched in all directions. The red-burning sticks pushed back the darkness on all sides, and lighting equipment was installed on the floor.

The explorers let out suppressed groans at the revealed scenery.

“Damn it.”

Thin, almost invisible strands, transparent spider webs, were everywhere.

And the advance team explorers they had been looking for were hanging as if floating in the air.

“Save me……”

The advance team, numbering about ten, were hanging like meat in a butcher shop, bathed in red light.

[You have fallen into a spider hell trap. Ferocious hunters are targeting you. If you don’t prepare quickly, you will face the predators defenselessly.]

Kim Jin-woo gritted his teeth as he saw the flashing red message window. And at that moment, the air rippled right next to the explorer who was protruding out of the formation.