Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 85

Dungeon Journal – Episode 86

# 86

Dungeon Journal

Episode 86

Thump, thump.

It was as if I could hear the sound of the black merchant’s eyes rolling.

“The Black Tiger Labyrinth, you say?”

The black merchant, who had completely regained his composure in a flash, asked with an innocent face. Kim Jin-woo chuckled at his brazen expression.

Even before the Naga Fortress became widely known, the black merchant of the Black Merchant Guild had found a labyrinth that no one else knew about.

There was no way they wouldn’t know about the Black Tiger Labyrinth. Nevertheless, the fact that he was feigning ignorance like that meant he had some ulterior motive.

“I can’t imagine there’s anything in this underground world that you guys don’t know about.”

“We appreciate you thinking so highly of us, but we are merely humble merchants.”

Kim Jin-woo frowned at his ridiculous display of false modesty.

“Let’s not waste our time with this tiresome game of cat and mouse.”

Eventually, the black merchant raised both hands at the sight of him staring without even blinking.

“Ahem. Did you say the Black Tiger Labyrinth? I’ve heard of it. I heard it’s a new labyrinth that appeared on the 5th floor. It’s not my area of responsibility, so I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard some stories about it.”

“Is the Black Merchant Guild planning to trade with them too?”

When he brought up the main point in a surprise attack, the black merchant let out a long sigh.

“Well, this is a first for us too, so we’re watching the situation. But if it could be beneficial to each other, there’s no reason to avoid it. As I said before, we are merchants who move according to profit.”

“Isn’t that the same as me?”

“You may be an individual, Baron, but if we trade with the Black Tiger Labyrinth, we have to consider the political aspects, don’t we?”

He was feigning ignorance at first, but now he was rattling on.

“Well, that’s true, but from what you’re saying, it sounds like you’ll be visiting them soon.”

“Well, I’m not in charge, so I don’t know for sure, but it’s highly likely.”

Kim Jin-woo stroked his chin and pondered. The black merchant was horrified at the sight. He seemed worried that he might be asking for another unreasonable request.

And the black merchant’s hunch was correct.

“Then I’ll accompany you then.”

The black merchant gaped at the unexpected suggestion.

“I accompanied you to the 10th floor, so there’s no reason why I can’t accompany you to the 5th floor. I’ll keep my mouth shut like last time, so don’t refuse.”

The black merchant opened and closed his mouth several times at his brazen attitude, which didn’t allow for any refusal.

***

He was able to get the black merchant to agree to accompany him on the condition that he would no longer hold him responsible for the danger that the Naga Fortress had suffered due to Morrighan.

However, that didn’t mean he refused the compensation he had already decided to receive.

Saying he wouldn’t hold him responsible was just a wordplay to avoid any lingering issues. Nevertheless, the black merchant returned triumphantly as if he had gained something great.

“Even if I wanted to be fooled, I can’t be fooled when you make it so obvious.”

Kim Jin-woo shook his head as he watched the black merchant leave.

The Black Merchant Guild was an unidentified group of merchants that even nobles couldn’t easily deal with. There was no way the Black Merchant Guild, which had existed for so long against the fierce masters of the underground world, could be so naive.

At this point, it would be even stranger not to know that they were deliberately making concessions.

Kim Jin-woo himself didn’t have any outstanding talent for trading, so it was certain that the Black Merchant Guild was pretending to give in and granting him what he wanted.

“The problem is, what is their purpose…?”

All he knew about the Black Merchant Guild was that they valued labyrinths to an extreme degree.

Other than that, he had no idea where their headquarters were or what their members were like.

In that situation, there was no way he could guess what the Black Merchant Guild wanted. He was lost in thought for a long time before shaking his head.

In any case, it was enough to use each other as long as it was mutually beneficial.

Even if they revealed their ambition later, it was more profitable to take as much as he could. There was no need to be intimidated by worrying about a distant future that hadn’t even arrived yet.

‘Master.’

Kim Jin-woo cut off the endless chain of thoughts as he saw Dominique approaching from afar.

“Ah.”

‘The warehouse is organized.’

“Really? Then let’s check the most important items.”

With that, he took out a Hero-grade mercenary summoning stone from his chest.

***

[Guardian of the Underground Tree Clan (Hero-grade) Malakkai has been summoned.]

[The Underground Tree Clan, which has existed since ancient times, has now become difficult to find in the underground world. Unlike the beings of the underground world, they are gentle and need the sunlight of the surface. Now that the entrance to the underground world has been occupied by humans, they have not been able to receive the power they need and have declined. But even with that weakened power, they are more capable guardians of the labyrinth than anyone else.]

[The guardian, firmly rooted in the earth, can sense even vibrations transmitted from kilometers away. Their roots and branches are tough and sharp, enough to ensnare and crush intruders.]

[Underground Trees prefer to take root in one place for a long time rather than move. Perhaps they gave up moving because of their terribly slow movement speed.]

The Hero-grade mercenaries that popped out of the summoning stone were all guardians of the Underground Tree.

These giant trees, with surfaces cracked like old trees, were terribly slow and clumsy in their movements and speech.

“Maaasteeer, looooyaaaltyyy.”

“You’re going to run out of breath. I know what you’re trying to say, so you can stop.”

Malakkai’s voice had a long, lonely echo, like branches swaying in the wind.

Listening to it made him feel dizzy from the bleakness, so he shook his head.

“Ahem. I won’t have any use for it other than defense.”

‘Even so, the Underground Tree Clan was once one of the proud powerhouses of the underground world. Now their power has waned and their glorious glory has faded, but Anatolius has definitely not sent you useless chaff [worthless material].’

As Dominique said, after roughly assessing their power with Quantus and other Hero-grade troops, he learned that they were superior to any troops in the Naga Fortress in terms of defense.

The countless branches and roots of the Underground Tree would be fatal to intruders.

“But why is this one not working?”

Out of the fifteen summoning stones he received from the black merchant, only one was not functioning properly.

Now that he looked at it, the color was somewhat dull, and he frowned because it didn’t seem to be in good condition.

‘Ah, that happens sometimes. There are those who get tired of waiting to be summoned inside the summoning stone and fall completely asleep. If you’re lucky, they might wake up, but most of them don’t wake up and become nothing more than common Down Gems [gems used to power dungeons].’

“So, you’re saying it’s a defective product?”

Kim Jin-woo was annoyed that a defective product was mixed in with the fifteen summoning stones he had received.

He wanted to call the black merchant or Anatolius right away and demand an explanation, but the black merchant had already left, and Anatolius was holed up in his labyrinth deep in the 11th floor.

‘Hmm.’

But Dominique’s reaction was somehow strange.

Looking at the defective summoning stone with eyes full of strange desire, she looked like a gourmet who was drooling over a delicious dish.

“What’s wrong?”

‘Ah, it’s nothing.’

Dominique’s lies, who didn’t know how to lie, were so childish that he couldn’t bear to watch. So, he rarely urged her.

“Dominique, I am your master. And I don’t want you to lie to your master.”

‘I’m sorry.’

Surprised by his expression, she prostrated herself on the floor and begged for forgiveness.

“I’m not going to get angry. I just want to know why you’re making that expression.”

At those words, Dominique slowly raised her body and hesitated for a long time before finally opening her mouth.

‘Even if it’s a summoning stone that doesn’t wake up, the power contained within is still there. It’s not as good as the highest grade Down Gem, but it definitely still contains a lot of energy.’

“So?”

Dominique hesitated again, and when she saw his expression frowning, she hurriedly continued.

‘Summoning stones are like the source of life for the beings of the underground world. If they consume it, they can gain power beyond their abilities.’

“Ah……”

Only then did Kim Jin-woo realize what Dominique was thinking and exclaimed.

It was the first time he had heard that summoning stones had such an effect, but he knew that Dominique was saddened by the limitations of a maid.

“Hmm……”

Kim Jin-woo looked back and forth between the defective summoning stone and Dominique and pondered for a moment. But the deliberation didn’t last long.

“Here, take it.”

‘Ma, Master?’

In any case, he couldn’t summon a summon, and he couldn’t return it now like a miser.

He had more than enough Down Gems to convert into dungeon energy, and there was no reason to dwell on this defective product now.

In addition, Dominique had been consistently dedicated since the early days of the labyrinth. Even if she asked for a normal summoning stone instead of a defective one, he would have granted her request.

“If you had something like that in mind, you should have said so in advance. If you had, I could have gotten you one more normal summoning stone.”

Dominique burst into tears at his words with a smile.

She seemed overwhelmed by her master’s infinite trust and the thought that she might be able to overcome the limitations of a maid.

‘Master.’

Dominique, who had rushed over, couldn’t contain her joy and hugged Kim Jin-woo.

Even the tail, which always remembered elegance, wrapped around his waist and expressed her joy with her whole body, causing him to sweat.

But only for a moment, Angela, who had appeared out of nowhere, ran over and pulled Dominique away from his body.

“How dare you, you lowly thing, touch Master!”

“Stop!”

Angela’s eyes, burning with possessiveness like a vampire, looked like she was about to cause an accident at any moment.

“It’s time for Angela to replenish her source again.”

Saying that, he slightly cut the tip of his finger, and even in a situation where she was blinded by jealousy, she quickly became ecstatic and clung to the tip of his finger.

Kim Jin-woo, watching her blindly crave blood as if a newborn baby was sucking on its parents’ milk, gestured to Dominique.

‘Thank you, Master.’

Knowing Angela’s personality well, she quietly left instead of thanking him several times. She seemed to think that was helping her master.

“That’s enough.”

“More, more, more!”

Angela, who always threw away her usual elegance and dignity and completely collapsed at the moment of sucking blood, desperately clung to him this time as well.

But Kim Jin-woo, who had already filled her source as much as needed, pushed her away firmly.

“That’s it for today.”

***

Not long after Angela left, Dominique came to visit.

Kim Jin-woo asked her why she looked so determined, saying that she might be away for a while.

‘It will take some time to absorb the summoning stone you gave me earlier. I probably won’t be able to move during that time.’

“Hmm.”

Kim Jin-woo couldn’t readily answer because he was worried about one or two things when he thought about her being away. Dominique said to him.

‘I’ve taken care of all the things you’ve ordered, and I’ve handed over most of the work to Angela. She’ll be able to fill my absence for a while.’

It was an unprecedented sight to see her so eager and looking at him.

In fact, when you think about it, it’s not like she has to be there right now, and it’s not bad for Dominique to grow.

He had high expectations for her because she showed blind devotion and loyalty.

So, he had no choice but to give her permission.

“It won’t take long, will it?”

‘It won’t be too long. It might be shorter than you think.’

It was her first time absorbing a summoning stone, so she couldn’t answer rashly.

“Is that so? Then I look forward to seeing you again.”

Dominique, who smacked her lips in disappointment, prostrated herself on the floor and expressed extreme respect before disappearing somewhere in the labyrinth.

***

The black merchant returned not long after.

“As I said, the 5th floor is not my area. So, you’ll have to follow the guidance of another black merchant.”

At those words, the black merchant gestured, and a short imp standing behind him popped out.