Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 29

# 29

Dungeon Journal

Episode 30

#12. The Eve of the Storm

‘I’ve reassigned half of the workers who were focused on installing traps back to the workshop. The work isn’t finished yet, but even if the Labyrinth upgrades immediately, we’ll need resources to expand the facilities. Dungeon energy isn’t magic that creates something from nothing.’

Kim Jin-woo, seated on the Naga throne, listened quietly to Dominique’s report.

“How are the Kyo-Ryongs doing?”

‘After that day, the outskirts seemed briefly disturbed, but then it quieted down again. They’re probably analyzing our forces.’

It seemed Kim Jin-woo’s plan to use Drakan to make the suspicious and slow-moving Anaxthus hesitate had succeeded.

However, he couldn’t let his guard down. With two weeks left until the Labyrinth’s upgrade, the difference in military strength was so great that even comparing them felt embarrassing.

Until the Labyrinth was upgraded and new troops were replenished, he couldn’t afford to be careless about even the smallest things.

“Have Rickshasha scout around a bit more.”

Right now, the only personnel skilled in reconnaissance were the Under Elves, Rickshasha.

Dominique mentioned that some Nagas were also specialized in reconnaissance and stealth, but it was hard to guess what grade the Labyrinth had to be to summon them.

‘Just leave it to me. I won’t give the Under Elves any time to be lazy.’

Dominique seemed to show a particularly venomous side when dealing with Rickshasha.

Two weeks had already passed since the Kyo-Ryongs were driven away, but the underground world remained quiet.

The Naga Labyrinth, once filled with tension as if it would explode at any moment, had now returned to its original state.

The Naga workers, who had been focused on installing traps, had all returned to the workshop with their pickaxes, and the Naga warriors were quickly gaining combat experience and becoming stronger.

“What about Quentus?”

Among the Nagas who were hunting creatures on the outskirts to gain practical experience, one stood out. He was a Naga warrior Kim Jin-woo had been watching.

Dominique called that Naga Quentus.

‘Quentus has led the warriors to hunt creatures. He should be back soon, so you’ll be able to see him shortly.’

“Really? He gets stronger every time I see him, so I’m looking forward to it.”

‘You can look forward to it. Right now, he’s not far behind the gatekeepers. I think he could grow into a hero-class if he has the chance.’

The Labyrinth’s upgrade would be completed soon, but until then, the Naga Labyrinth had to be defended entirely by the existing forces.

They had shown some strength in the previous battle, but their limitations were clearly revealed in the battle with the Kyo-Ryongs.

The quality of the troops was low.

That was the problem Kim Jin-woo was facing. But in the midst of all this, he couldn’t help but feel excited that one of the Naga warriors showed the potential to grow into a hero-class.

“My Lord.”

It was Rickshasha who found him before Quentus, whom he had been waiting for. She had returned after being sent to scout the Kyo-Ryong Labyrinth.

“Ah, keep the greetings short. Report first.”

Kim Jin-woo raised his hand to stop her, as she would prostrate herself on the floor and start praising him endlessly if he let her.

“The number of Kyo-Ryongs is one hundred and forty-two, and two of them are hero-class. My abilities were insufficient to enter the deepest parts, so I could not see everything. Please punish this incompetent servant.”

“So, you didn’t see Anaxthus?”

“The Kyo-Ryong King’s residence is located in the deepest part of the Labyrinth, and there was an austerity that a lowly Under Elf could not approach.”

Rickshasha lowered herself to the point of self-deprecation in every word, but her contribution was by no means small.

She had infiltrated the Kyo-Ryong Labyrinth and analyzed the enemy’s forces, so her abilities and contributions could not be underestimated.

Even Dominique, who considered Rickshasha a thorn in her side, was showing a face of admiration this time.

“Even with the revealed forces alone, they are far above us.”

‘A hero-class Kyo-Ryong might not be able to defeat Drakan, but they could hold him back. It’s usually impossible for Drakan, but… it’s also true that Orteaga is not very reliable.’

If Orteaga, who was arrogant despite his namesake, had heard her words, he would have raged.

However, Kim Jin-woo’s assessment was no different from Dominique’s.

Frankly speaking, he felt sorry for the Kyo-Ryong King, who couldn’t act rashly because of that half-wit Drakan.

“In the end, the problem is who will face the Kyo-Ryong King and the remaining hero-class Kyo-Ryongs. The gatekeepers wouldn’t be able to handle it, right?”

‘There is no one among our current forces who can face them.’

“Back to square one. In the end, the Labyrinth’s upgrade comes first.”

Kim Jin-woo, stroking his chin and nodding, got up from his seat.

‘Are you leaving?’

There was nothing he could do by staying, so he waved his hand as a greeting and left the Labyrinth.

The first thing that greeted Kim Jin-woo when he returned to the surface was his phone, which was vibrating like crazy. Annoyed by the noise, Kim Jin-woo answered the call.

[You’re not answering your phone.]

Kim Jin-woo cut to the chase and asked what he wanted, in response to Teacher Baek’s nagging. Teacher Baek clicked his tongue and grumbled briefly before bringing up the matter.

[It’s about what you asked me before. Can you stop by for a moment? It’s hard to talk about it over the phone.]

“Is it urgent?”

[It’s urgent, if it’s not. The sooner, the better.]

At Teacher Baek’s words, Kim Jin-woo answered without thinking. He was planning to visit the appraisal office to get information anyway, so there was no reason to refuse.

“You’ve come? Sit over here.”

When he arrived at the appraisal office, Teacher Baek was sitting behind his old desk as always, welcoming him.

“I heard you went into the Labyrinth alone?”

Kim Jin-woo’s face hardened at the unexpected words. He didn’t think the secret would be kept forever, but this was too fast.

“There are no secrets in this world. There are so many eyes watching.”

When he asked where he had heard it, Teacher Baek vaguely brushed it off.

“So, how many floors did you go to?”

“Are you curious about that?”

“It’s for work. Yes, it’s for work. Tell me quickly.”

Since Teacher Baek already knew his level, there was no point in hiding it, so Kim Jin-woo answered honestly.

“I went to the third floor.”

“Didn’t go, or couldn’t go?”

“I came back in the middle because of circumstances.”

Kim Jin-woo told him about meeting the human hunters. After the war with the underground world ended and the Dungeon Babies [Dungeon-born individuals] returned to the surface, the perception of Dungeon Babies was not good for a while because of the hunters who craved human flesh.

Teacher Baek clicked his tongue and glared at the mention of human hunters.

“There are still some left… The association should step in and clean them up, but they’re unconditionally siding with them, so the management office is having a headache. Ugh, unlucky bastards. Is there nothing else to eat?”

“Is the association involved?”

Song Jong-chul’s face, mocking the deaths of the Dungeon Babies, came to mind, and Kim Jin-woo’s expression turned cold without him realizing it.

“No. Not exactly, but they unconditionally side with the explorers, so the management office seems to have a headache. Ugh, unlucky bastards. Is there nothing else to eat?”

However, he couldn’t get any more information because there was no significant relationship. Teacher Baek, who had been grumbling for a while, brought up the main topic again.

“More than that, how many floors do you think you can handle?”

“What do you mean…?”

Kim Jin-woo vaguely brushed it off, unable to grasp the intention of the question.

“I mean literally. How many floors can you clear alone?”

Teacher Baek’s question was persistent, as if it was related to the request.

“I’ll have to go further to know, but I think I can handle up to the sixth floor alone. Anything more than that is impossible.”

At his words, Teacher Baek opened his eyes wide and exclaimed.

“Level 12 is amazing. Even level 8 explorers can’t clear the sixth floor, let alone the fifth, unless they form a team.”

When you think about it, most Dungeon Babies formed teams by Labyrinth to make their way to the surface after gaining freedom. There was no reason for them to wander the underground world alone, unless they were Dungeon Babies from the deep layers with a low survival rate like Kim Jin-woo.

“The sixth floor… the sixth floor…”

Teacher Baek stroked his non-existent beard and pondered.

“What are you trying to ask me to do?”

Kim Jin-woo asked, seeing Teacher Baek not opening his mouth for a while.

“It’s nothing much, but I need you to check something, and it’s in a deep place.”

“What is it that you’re hesitating so much?”

“Ugh. Alright, alright. I’ll tell you everything, so sit your light butt back down.”

Kim Jin-woo’s butt was half-lifted, as he thought they would end up circling around the topic without hearing the main point if they continued like this.

“Have you ever heard of an abandoned Labyrinth?”

“The underground world is full of abandoned Labyrinths. There are hundreds of them in our country alone.”

“No, no, not like that.”

Teacher Baek paused for a moment, lowered his voice, and said.

“Not a Labyrinth abandoned by its owner, but a Labyrinth without an owner.”

It was a wordplay that sounded like a joke, a story with an incomprehensible meaning. But Kim Jin-woo had to desperately manage his expression the moment he heard that story.

“If it’s an abandoned Labyrinth, it’s a Labyrinth. What’s a perfectly fine Labyrinth?”

Kim Jin-woo deliberately made a strange noise, trying to appear calm. Teacher Baek clicked his tongue and shook his head at him.

“That’s why I’m saying it. Ah, I’m telling you, there’s a Labyrinth without an owner in the Labyrinth.”

“What…?”

Kim Jin-woo couldn’t manage his expression any longer. But fortunately, Teacher Baek seemed to think that his expression had hardened because he was surprised by his information.

Teacher Baek’s face, which was somewhat exaggerated unlike usual, was full of smugness, as if he was revealing a great fact.

“There are so many rumors about it that I was dubious, but I got definite information a while ago.”

Kim Jin-woo felt his chest chilling, as if he was hearing words full of conviction that he wasn’t just saying.

“There’s a Labyrinth in the underground world waiting for its owner.”