Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 65

Dungeon Journal – Episode 66

#26. The Nobles of the 10th Floor

The black marketeer, who had been flailing his short arms and legs, cautiously studied Kim Jin-woo’s expression before asking,

“Is there anything else you need?”

Kim Jin-woo grinned at the black marketeer’s reaction and dropped the Blood Tablet’s heart with a thud.

“Oh, my! This precious thing!”

The black marketeer, startled that the treasure might break, made a great show of catching the Blood Tablet’s heart. Kim Jin-woo said to him,

“I’m not going to change the terms of the deal now. However…”

“However?”

The black marketeer, afraid that Kim Jin-woo might change his mind, quickly tucked the Blood Tablet’s heart into his arms.

“I have a favor to ask.”

The black marketeer’s face already looked tearful, wondering what kind of demand he would make this time.

“You don’t have to grant it. It’s just a favor, literally.”

Though he said it was a favor, it wouldn’t be easy for the black marketeer to refuse him.

“Ugh, please tell me.”

“Since you say so, I’ll speak without burdening you.”

The black marketeer’s eyes were complex, resenting Kim Jin-woo, who had completely shed his initial naive appearance and was now toying with him, a sly look on his face.

“Among those you deal with, are there perhaps any nobles from the inner floors [floors closer to the dungeon’s core]?”

“I have a few clients, but why do you ask…?”

The black marketeer, now clueless as to what he would say, rolled his eyes in confusion.

“When is your next visit to their labyrinths?”

“Why are you so curious about that?”

“Why do you ask?”

Kim Jin-woo grinned at the black marketeer.

“I’m thinking of tagging along.”

***

The black marketeer left, saying he couldn’t give a definite answer right now. It seemed the matter was too significant for him to decide on his own, so he was going to ask his superior.

He might be refused, but Kim Jin-woo wasn’t too worried.

Hadn’t Anatolius visited his labyrinth in that way before? Even if they refused later, he planned to make a fuss, citing that day’s events.

“Hoo.”

Lost in thought, Kim Jin-woo snapped out of it and threw several Down Jams into the Altar of the Dead.

Though they looked different, the Graveyard also devoured Down Jams gluttonously, and soon the Down Jams were completely gone.

“Summon workers.”

[Do you want to summon the laborers of Yubu? 1/2 Dungeon Energy is consumed to summon one. How many do you want to summon?]

“Thirty.”

No sooner had he spoken than black smoke billowed from the altar, and the laborers of Yubu, with their ghostly appearances, emerged.

“Build a graveyard first. Expand and upgrade until the Dungeon Energy runs out.”

Kim Jin-woo, who had ordered the construction and continuous expansion of the graveyard, which served the same role as the Naga’s nest, stepped through the portal.

***

The black marketeer returned sooner than expected.

“How did it go?”

At Kim Jin-woo’s question, which skipped the greetings, the black marketeer cautiously replied,

“It seems possible, but there are some concerns, so you’ll have to make a few promises.”

“I’ll hide well, pretending to be a mercenary. I won’t get caught as clumsily as Anatolius. I’m quite skilled at concealing my presence.”

“There are a few other things besides that.”

The black marketeer said and then explained.

First, do not interfere with the trade under any circumstances.

Second, do not speak when entering the noble’s labyrinth.

Third, never disclose what you see and hear during the trade to others.

Fourth, do not take any unexpected actions.

Fifth, do not hold the Black Merchant responsible for any accidents that occur during the trade.

Since the general conditions were all expected, Kim Jin-woo readily nodded.

“Then I will let you know when the schedule is set.”

With those words, the black marketeer scurried out of the labyrinth.

“Hmm, isn’t it too dangerous?”

“There won’t be any major dangers. Hiding my presence is easy.”

Kim Jin-woo replied nonchalantly to Angela, who suddenly appeared, and then turned serious.

“I need to know how strong the other nobles are, even if I know the Count.”

Now that he was about to clear the 9th floor, the 10th floor was his next goal, so he needed to gather some information.

It would be nice if he could send others, but only he and Rickshasha were not restricted by floors.

And if possible, he felt more at ease seeing the power of the other nobles with his own eyes.

“By the way, what is Balzac doing?”

“He’s wrestling with the Guardian Dragon. It seems he still has lingering attachments.”

It was said that the Iron Blood Knights’ hellsteeds [demonic horses], which the knights rode, had collapsed upon seeing Balzac and couldn’t even get up.

In comparison, the Guardian Dragon was putting up a good fight, so it seemed Balzac’s fighting spirit had been rekindled.

“Only the innocent Guardian Dragon is suffering. We don’t have to worry since we have Valishus.”

“Leave him be. It seems he’s also getting acquainted with the Naga Dragon Knights.”

Kim Jin-woo nodded indifferently at Angela’s words and went to find Valishus.

“Is the work going well?”

Valishus, who had been sitting blankly in a space about 10 meters in all directions, slowly got up and bowed his head when he saw Kim Jin-woo.

Seeing that it was clearly a forced greeting, Kim Jin-woo chuckled and asked about the progress of the work.

Instead of answering, Valishus silently pointed to a rag that was placed alone in the middle of the open space.

“Hmm…”

Kim Jin-woo frowned at the grotesque, patched-up body that was so badly stitched that he couldn’t recognize its original form.

“I’ve stopped there because I don’t have enough materials.”

His face was full of dissatisfaction, as if he didn’t like the fact that the supply of materials wasn’t smooth.

“Please allow me to visit the Graveyard. If I go there just once, I can make anything you want.”

Kim Jin-woo was still indifferent to Valishus’s request, which he had made countless times.

“At the very least, give me back the chimera I was making. I’ll disassemble it and complete the mission.”

“Well, I don’t know whether to disassemble that or this.”

It hadn’t been long since Valishus had settled in the Naga’s labyrinth, but he had already been caught several times for stealing materials.

It was obvious what he was trying to do with the materials he had stolen, so Kim Jin-woo warned coldly.

“If you have any foolish thoughts, the core of the Graveyard will be destroyed first.”

For the core of the labyrinth to be destroyed meant that the owner couldn’t be safe either. In a way, it was the same as holding the Graveyard hostage against Valishus.

Valishus’s pale face became even paler, and he lowered his head.

“Then make it as soon as possible. We can think about the supply of materials later.”

He felt strange, as if he had become a villain, but Kim Jin-woo didn’t care.

Valishus had been secretly making a chimera with the corpses of the Gyo Ryong King and the Blood Tablet, and was constantly biding his time. He had no intention of treating his opponent, who had tried to put a knife to his throat, comfortably.

“Ah, and you don’t look well, so I’ll send a priest.”

Kim Jin-woo’s words made it seem as if he was saying that he needed to be healthy to be exploited.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Kim Jin-woo shrugged at Valishus’s resigned words and turned around.

“Hoya.”

As soon as he left the room, he called Hoya, and Hoya appeared from wherever he had been hiding and immediately showed affection.

“Keep a closer watch. If he does anything suspicious, report it to me immediately.”

He stroked Hoya’s head a few times, and Hoya purred before disappearing back into the darkness.

***

Balzac’s determination was remarkable. So much so that the tough and strong Guardian Dragon was foaming at the mouth.

However, the Guardian Dragon was just as persistent, and the exhausted Guardian Dragon lay on its belly on the floor, refusing Balzac to the end.

“Why don’t you stop tormenting a perfectly good beast and find something else to do?”

“You’ve arrived.”

Balzac, who had been glaring at the Guardian Dragon, noticed Kim Jin-woo and bowed.

However, the way he bowed, with his head tucked under his arm, was so grotesque that it was uncomfortable to watch.

“It seemed to have more grit than the weak hellsteeds, but I guess it’s not working out.”

As Balzac spoke with a mix of grumbling, a Myoin woman who had been watching quickly approached, leading the Guardian Dragon away. She seemed worried that Balzac would torment the Guardian Dragon again.

“I’m making a suitable mount for you, so please be patient and wait. Don’t just increase the workload of others.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Balzac answered readily, as if he had really given up now.

“By the way, I have a few questions to ask.”

“Ask away.”

At the somewhat blunt answer, Kim Jin-woo asked the questions he had been putting off without hesitation.

“Tell me everything you saw on the way up to the 9th floor.”

“For example…”

“You came up from the 11th floor, so you must have passed through the 10th floor.”

Balzac, who belatedly realized what Kim Jin-woo wanted to know, thought for a moment and replied.

“The 10th floor is, in a word, a junkyard.”

Balzac, who started the story like that, said mockingly.

“They are born noble, so they don’t know how to fight, and everything around them is the same, so laziness is rampant everywhere.”

“Explain in detail.”

Kim Jin-woo said, his eyes shining.

“The decadent nobles indulge in luxury and pleasure and don’t even take care of their labyrinths. Instead of defensive facilities to prepare for war, extravagant ornaments cover the walls of the entire labyrinth, and the creatures don’t even have a chance to use their teeth and claws, so they cut their own nails and teeth.”

Balzac’s tone was scathing, as if he was thoroughly fed up with the 10th floor.

“The 10th floor, where storytellers are more favored than warriors skilled in battle, is a disgrace to the underground. They have even forgotten the history of defeat and are obsessed with the items of the surface dwellers, forgetting their duty. If you give me a hundred Nagas, I can wipe them out right away.”

“Say it again.”

“A hundred, no, even seventy Nagas…”

“No, before that.”

At Kim Jin-woo’s reaction, Balzac tilted his head and pretended to think about what he had said.

But as if the saying that he was simple and ignorant was not a lie, Balzac seemed to have forgotten everything he had said in that short time.

“What were the nobles of the 10th floor obsessed with?”

Kim Jin-woo’s eyes shone as he looked at Balzac.