Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 153

Dungeon Journal – Episode 154

# 154

Dungeon Journal

Episode 154

After Heimdall, it was Rikshasha and the Under Elves’ turn.

“My King!”

Rikshasha rushed over, her concern for her master evident. Her legs gave way upon seeing him, and she collapsed.

“What on earth……”

She was bewildered by the changed appearance of the labyrinth and Kim Jin-woo’s presence, which felt several times more powerful than before.

But what confused her the most was not the Great Labyrinth or Kim Jin-woo, but the changes that had occurred to herself and the Under Elves.

“Congratulations, Rikshasha. And to the Under Elves.”

Kim Jin-woo knew what changes had occurred to her the moment he saw Rikshasha.

[The Under Elves, who were rejected by the system due to the usurper’s hatred, have finally broken free from their curse. They are no longer slaves of the underground or cursed wanderers. Although the once glorious Fairy Lord and their forest no longer exist in this world, they have been able to regain some of their past glory thanks to their master, who has risen to the High Lord.]

[Having finally returned to the embrace of the underground, they will gradually regain their former selves. Their severed connection with the underground has been restored, and their lost true power has awakened.]

[The Under Elves’ unique ability, ‘Mediumship,’ has been activated. It is currently difficult to use mediumship, but they will soon be able to find and ‘contract’ with the underground spirits with whom they can communicate.]

The system message explained the changes that had occurred to them.

“You are no longer lowly slaves or runaways.”

He explained the situation to the Under Elves, who were bewildered by the sudden congratulations. Rikshasha and the Under Elves listened to his words in hushed silence, eventually bursting into tears.

“Unexpected. I thought you would be calmly pleased.”

He was surprised to see even the usually stoic Rikshasha shedding tears, to which she responded with a smile, saying how could she not be happy now that she could serve the King even more closely.

As Rikshasha was overcome with emotion, Kim Jin-woo realized that everyone gathered here was related to the ancient underground.

“Are the others not here yet?”

As if in response to his words, Hoya and the Myoin tribe woman appeared. They, too, were not originally slaves in the underground, and they looked considerably stronger than in the past.

In particular, the change in the Myoin tribe woman was striking.

Her delicate appearance, which somehow evoked a sense of protection, remained the same, but her every move was different from before.

The silent steps of the Myoin tribe had become even more secretive, and her presence, which seemed as faint as a phantom even when staring at her, was distinctly different from before.

[The Myoin and Hoin tribes were once the people ruled by the Beast King, one of the Ten Lords. Like the descendants of the Fairy Lord, they were rejected by the underground due to the usurper’s hatred. But now that a new High Lord has been born, they, too, will gradually recover their power, just like the Under Elves.]

[The Hoin tribe’s ability is ‘Toughness.’ They are faster and stronger warriors than anyone else, even without special abilities.]

[The Myoin tribe’s special ability is ‘Charm.’ They possess the least combat ability among all the beast tribes, but their power to charm opponents is undeniable. It is no coincidence that the violent Guardian Dragons followed her without reason. Her fatal charm will prevent anyone from hating her unless she harbors malice. No, even if she bares her claws and teeth, her opponent will not be able to escape her charm until their last breath.]

After confirming the abilities of the two beast tribes, Kim Jin-woo couldn’t help but stare at the Myoin tribe woman.

Come to think of it, her appearance, which evoked a sense of protection, made it hard to take his eyes off her. Her vertically elongated pupils also stirred strange emotions as he kept looking at them.

“Hmm……”

[The Myoin tribe’s charm ability is also effective on their master. Although it is not as fatal as when facing an enemy, it is enough to monopolize the master’s love.]

The message popped up as if warning him. Kim Jin-woo turned his head. But the fact that his gaze kept returning to her showed how powerful her ability was.

“Ah……”

The suppressed groan that followed, the Myoin tribe woman’s inability to speak, was so fatal that he wanted to rush over and embrace her.

But having already learned about the existence of the charm ability, he no longer wavered.

[Myoin Tribe Woman. Relief. Gratitude. Yearning.]

He simply knew through the ‘Eye of Truth’ inherited from the One-Eyed Lord that she was very pleased with his safety.

The beast tribe women were the last to visit the owner’s room, and after that, no one appeared for a long time.

Just when he was wondering if everyone except the descendants of the ancient underground had been annihilated and become nourishment for the Great Labyrinth, the disappeared Nagas finally reappeared.

“My King! I, Quantus, have no regrets even if I die now that you are safe!”

Quantus appeared boisterously, followed by the Nagas and Valishus, who all knelt down in unison.

“What about the others? Why are the others not visible?”

However, the number of Nagas who appeared was only about twenty. He asked, feeling strange, and Dominique, who had guided Quantus and the Nagas, cautiously offered a guess.

“Perhaps the lower the rank of the summoned creatures, the slower they awaken. Everyone gathered here are only those whom the master summoned as heroes.”

Come to think of it, the troops Dominique had led were all hero-grade summoned creatures.

“Tch.”

In the end, he had no choice but to wait for the Nagas to awaken.

Most of the hero-grade summoned creatures gathered here had plenty of combat experience and were carefully nurtured from the bottom up by consuming summon stones, but it was not enough to face all the rioters, whose numbers were unknown.

The thought that he might have to pour all the remaining Down Jam [a powerful energy source] into creating a new army made him frown.

But this was just a needless worry.

The owners of the satellite labyrinths adjacent to the fortress began to arrive one after another. Those who arrived were Okonutoshi, the king of the Great Tusk Boars, and Espetos, the king of the Mirror Specters.

“What on earth is going on……”

Okonutoshi, who had been released from the vassal contract, did not forget his place.

In the first place, he himself had sought refuge in the shadow of the great tree of the Commander of Transmission to avoid the calamity of the 8th floor, so he was panicked and disheartened by the sudden disappearance of the labyrinth, but he did not rashly reveal it.

“As you can see, the labyrinth suddenly grew and devoured the surrounding labyrinths. I can’t find any trace of my soldiers either.”

Even though all sorts of bizarre things happened frequently in the underground, it was unlikely that a labyrinth would devour the surrounding labyrinths.

Okonutoshi was speechless and gaped at his explanation, which sounded almost perfunctory.

“Unfortunately, I do not know how to revive your destroyed labyrinth. If I did, I would help with all my might, but it is currently a distant prospect.”

Since things had come to this, Kim Jin-woo decided to be brazen.

“Tch, this is driving me crazy.”

Okonutoshi’s attitude was quite calm for someone who had lost his labyrinth. Unlike the other labyrinth owners, Okonutoshi was an eccentric who valued his race more than his labyrinth, thinking of it as just a house.

That was why he was able to abandon the 8th floor labyrinth, which had been quite powerful, and move to the 9th floor.

“Is there a way to find it?”

“I can’t guarantee it. But I will try.”

It was a lukewarm answer, but Okonutoshi was already satisfied.

Without even realizing that he had been released from the vassal contract, he swore allegiance once again as a matter of course.

This was also clearly related to the High Lord’s ability, but neither Kim Jin-woo nor Okonutoshi knew this at this moment.

“Please allow me to dwell in the shadow of the King.”

[Okonutoshi and the Great Tusk Boars wish to join the Great Labyrinth. If you accept them, a portion of the Great Labyrinth will be provided to them.]

[The core governs not only the labyrinth. The energy of the underground is the driving force for the inhabitants of the underground, but it is also the cause of making them more violent and savage. The core of the labyrinth is an important entity that maintains balance so that the summoned creatures are not consumed by the energy of the underground. A race that has lost its core will eventually be consumed by its wildness and roam the underground like beasts.]

[The Great Tusk Boars are facing a great crisis. To them, you can offer a new future, albeit limited.]

[But you have not yet fully digested the power of the High Lord. Unfortunately, you cannot promise a future to all the refugees on the 9th floor in your current state. Refugees who do not receive your help will soon be consumed by their wildness and instincts and roam the underground like beasts.]

[The burden on your shoulders is heavy. The rise and fall of countless people depend on your hands. Depending on your choice, some may be driven to extinction. This is a moment that requires careful decision.]

[It is also possible to expel those who have been accepted. However, in that case, the expelled will lose their future and wander the underground like beasts, disappearing miserably, just like those who were expelled earlier.]

“Hoo……”

Kim Jin-woo exclaimed as he looked at the unexpected message.

It seemed that the Great Labyrinth had not just greedily absorbed the energy of other labyrinths.

He smiled, confirming that there was still hope for those who had lost their labyrinths.

“I allow you to dwell in my labyrinth.”

[Okonutoshi and the Great Tusk Boars have been assigned to the Great Labyrinth.]

[They are guaranteed a life that is not much different from before within the area given to them. Although they will have to rely on you to increase the number of their clan, they were able to seize the opportunity to prosper again from the path of extinction.]

[Specify the area where the Great Tusk Boars will settle. If you do not specify their residence, they may settle in the center of the labyrinth at will.]

Kim Jin-woo was confused by the changes that occurred as the fortress evolved into the Great Labyrinth, but he quickly regained his composure and began to spin his head furiously.

“This will be fun.”

The sight of the refugees and rioters fighting tooth and nail to occupy the remaining space in the Great Labyrinth flashed through his mind.