Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 100

Dungeon Journal – Episode 101

The Body Bunker, which had been leaning precariously, straightened up, and the gun barrels and blades that had been pointing at the floor raised. They were ready for action.

“Not yet, not yet.”

The escort mercenaries flinched, appearing ready to attack at any moment, unnerved by the humans’ sharply honed weapons. The black marketeer repeated his calming words to the mercenaries several times.

Fortunately, the mercenaries obeyed the black marketeer’s commands. However, the fact that a battle wasn’t currently erupting didn’t guarantee it wouldn’t happen later.

In fact, the mercenaries remained tense, every muscle coiled, prepared to spring into action.

To defuse the situation, the murderous intent emanating from the Harimau Labyrinth [Harimau is Malay for Tiger] side needed to be quelled.

But what had been said to provoke such intense murderous intent? Kim Jin-woo looked towards Deputy Manager Kim Joo-hyuk, Kim Jin-tae, and Lee Jun-young’s group, the apparent leaders of the Harimau Labyrinth representatives.

Deputy Manager Kim Joo-hyuk was speaking to the Imp with a serious expression.

The faces of the dungeon residents next to him were cold. Their subtle encirclement of the Imp suggested they were ready to take him hostage if necessary.

“What on earth did they say?”

Kim Jin-woo, unable to contain his curiosity, approached the black marketeer and asked.

He couldn’t fathom what kind of proposal had made the humans so hostile.

The Deputy Manager Kim Joo-hyuk he knew was usually a flexible and diplomatic negotiator.

“Well, this is a deal between the Black Merchant and the Black Tiger Labyrinth, so I’m not at liberty to disclose the details to the Lord.”

The black marketeer was uncharacteristically tight-lipped. Kim Jin-woo frowned, noticing the black marketeer, who usually chattered incessantly, now closing his mouth and turning away.

“You said it yourself. This deal isn’t solely between the labyrinth and the Black Merchant. Are you now claiming it’s exclusively a Black Merchant affair?”

“I would gladly tell you everything, considering our trusted relationship, Lord. But this particular deal isn’t my direct responsibility.”

The black marketeer’s intention was clear: he was pushing the Imp forward to avoid the situation. However, Kim Jin-woo couldn’t press the black marketeer further.

Even if the Imp was a figurehead put forward by the black marketeer, he was, on the surface, the subject of the negotiation. Besides, Kim Jin-woo was merely an observer who had joined the proceedings.

“Ah, it seems the conversation has concluded.”

At those words, Kim Jin-woo reflexively turned and saw Deputy Manager Kim Joo-hyuk and the Imp shaking hands.

Moments before, their faces had been tense, but now they were smiling at each other. He couldn’t understand how the situation had shifted so dramatically.

“The situation you were worried about didn’t materialize, Lord.”

The black marketeer narrowed his eyes, staring intently as he spoke.

“But keep this in mind.”

Again, he heard the black marketeer’s voice, so devoid of emotion it felt unsettling. Kim Jin-woo’s expression hardened, and he glared directly at the black marketeer.

“Even if not now, a moment of choice will inevitably arrive someday.”

The black marketeer, who would normally have rubbed his hands together and bowed obsequiously upon making eye contact, didn’t even flinch now.

“We have merely postponed the choice for the time being.”

***

Kim Jin-woo, returning from the Harimau Labyrinth, felt inexplicably drained. It was a result of extreme mental fatigue, not physical exertion.

But there was no time to rest. He straightened up on the throne and summoned his subordinates, including Dominique.

“Gather information about the Black Merchant.”

“Yes?”

Dominique’s eyes widened at the unexpected command.

“No matter how I analyze it, the Black Merchant isn’t just an ordinary group of traders. There’s definitely someone behind them. Someone who controls this underground network.”

The black marketeer’s protectiveness of the labyrinth and his attempt to erase the Harimau Labyrinth made him seem more like an administrator of the underground than a simple merchant.

Now that he considered it, it was odd that the black marketeer produced the noble’s seal every time. Furthermore, he wondered what kind of entity determined the granting of noble titles.

Once a question arose, doubts and inquiries followed in rapid succession.

“But that could be dangerous. If someone is backing the Black Merchant, it would be an entity that even the high-ranking nobles of the underground can’t touch.”

“We can’t openly investigate, but there must be a discreet way.”

He was well aware of the potential dangers associated with the Black Merchant.

Aside from their extensive information network and financial power that reached every corner of the underground, the hundred hero-class escort mercenaries he encountered at this trade alone represented a formidable force capable of wiping out a substantial labyrinth.

“It’s okay if it takes a long time. But investigate as secretly as possible.”

There was no need to needlessly antagonize the Black Merchant.

In any case, the Black Merchant had played a crucial role in the growth of Naga’s Fortress. And it was likely that this situation would continue in the future.

“Make sure to proceed in a way that never provokes them.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Dominique, who seemed to be already formulating a plan, answered after a thoughtful pause.

Kim Jin-woo, having concluded his business in the underground, returned to the surface.

He, who would normally have visited Teacher Baek’s appraisal office first for information, went directly to his family home today.

His mind was preoccupied with the topic the black marketeer had raised: the choice between the underground and the surface, and the ramifications of that decision.

“What are you so busy doing? I’m starting to forget what you look like. Come by more often.”

“I’m sorry.”

Even as she scolded him, his mother began setting the table, anticipating his hunger.

He felt that the ordinary meal was somehow special, and he studied his mother’s face intently.

“You look worn out. I don’t know what you’re working so hard at, but take care of yourself. We’re doing all this to make a living.”

Kim Jin-woo’s heart was lightened by the unchanging affection and concern.

***

[Breaking news! Labyrinths in various countries, including the United States, have been attacked by an unidentified group. The exact extent of the damage is not yet known, but reports indicate that some labyrinths have already been occupied.]

Kim Jin-woo, who was lying on the sofa, using the clattering sound of dishwashing as a lullaby, opened his eyes wide at the announcer’s voice that pierced his ears.

[According to well-informed sources, these labyrinths were visited by a group of unknown origin before being attacked. Experts believe that these visits are related to the attacks.]

The news also showed footage, somehow obtained, of an unidentified labyrinth under attack.

[Kuaaaaa!]

The chaotic green screen, seemingly captured with an infrared camera, was filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes running amok.

Gunshots rang out, and people’s screams erupted from various locations, but the creatures didn’t stop.

Kim Jin-woo’s expression hardened as he watched the mosaic-covered green screen filled with carnage.

[As you can see on the screen, the labyrinth is under a fierce attack. Underground experts unanimously agree that these creatures are of a higher grade than typically found on the floors where these labyrinths are located.]

[There is an ecosystem within each labyrinth. The deeper you go, the stronger the creatures become, and the weaker ones are pushed upwards. The creatures attacking the labyrinth are definitely not the ones you would encounter on the 5th floor or at the entrance. You would only see those creatures on the 8th or 9th floor. The fact that dozens or hundreds of these creatures have surfaced suggests that the underground ecosystem is…]

Kim Jin-woo jumped up as he watched the old man, presented as an expert, spouting nonsense.

He couldn’t shake the images of the Black Merchant’s escort mercenaries from his mind as he watched the screen.

‘And if they determine that they are a threat to the safety of the underground, they will consider recovering the core.’

He also remembered the black marketeer’s cold words. With a sense of foreboding, he grabbed the remote control and flipped through the channels, finally confirming his suspicions.

If there was an organization like the Black Merchant in the undergrounds of other countries, all of this could be explained.

Perhaps the attacked labyrinths had failed the screening process of organizations similar to the Black Merchant. And as a result, numerous mercenaries, many reaching the hero level, had eradicated the labyrinth.

“Ah…”

Kim Jin-woo, who had been staring at the news in a daze, belatedly realized that the sound of dishwashing had stopped.

He turned and saw his mother looking at him, her face as hard as stone.

“Do you still go to the underground these days?”

Kim Jin-woo opened his mouth to offer excuses in response to his mother’s question, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. He couldn’t lie while looking at his mother’s face.

“Jin-woo.”

His mother slumped to the floor and called his name repeatedly.

“It’s all Mom and Dad’s fault. We were incompetent and drove you back to that terrible place. We are the sinners.”

His family had spent years grappling with the psychological trauma he had exhibited before he had reintegrated into surface society.

Since they knew that his return to the underground was motivated by his family’s needs, how could they not despair?

“We are the sinners.”

“No, Mother.”

More than anyone, his mother knew the terrible things he had suffered in the underground and how he had managed to return alive, so she couldn’t stop sobbing.

“I’m sorry, Jin-woo. I’m sorry.”

She had allowed her son to shed blood, accepted the blood-stained money, sent his daughter into a marriage, and taken care of themselves, so the misery was indescribable. The money Kim Jin-woo had sent in the guise of living expenses or pocket money was substantial.

“Mother, that’s not it.”

He had ample opportunities to escape if he wanted to. Initially, he had been ignorant of the possibilities, but now that he knew he could transfer ownership of the labyrinth, he could end his underground life at any time if he chose to.

But it was Kim Jin-woo himself who was clinging to the underground. Or perhaps it was the lingering influence of the cave dweller who had lived like a beast.

“Mother, that’s not it. Don’t cry.”

But how could he articulate his desire for revenge against the Duke of the Underground? Knowing full well that his mother’s worries would only deepen, he repeated the same words, attempting to appease her.

“I’m sorry, Jin-woo.”

“No. I’m sorry.”

Although they were not related by blood, there was something poignant and heartbreaking in the apologies exchanged between the mother and son.

[Breaking news! There are reports that the labyrinth owned by Korea is also under attack by an unidentified group!]

Kim Jin-woo, who had been stroking his mother’s slender shoulders, sharply raised his head at the anchor’s scream-like voice that pierced his ears.