Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 247

Dungeon Journal-Episode 248

# 247

Dungeon Journal

Chapter 248

The High Lord’s possession, inheriting the title of its previous owner, made the Hypocrite’s Mask infinitely valuable.

Just as the Cyclops Lord’s Gungnir [his legendary spear] possessed extraordinary power and utility, the Hypocrite’s Mask would likely be of similar worth.

But that was it.

From Kim Jin-woo’s perspective, the Hypocrite’s Mask was nothing more than a useless burden of unknown purpose. This treacherous item, possibly harboring the insidious High Lord’s soul awaiting a new body, was more repulsive than appealing.

He certainly thought so, and without much objection, he decided to follow Mimir’s advice.

However,

his hand wouldn’t let go.

“Kugh.”

His mind repeated countless times to hand over the mask quickly, but his hand, defying his will, gripped the mask tightly and refused to release it.

“It seems something has gone wrong.”

Mimir, who had been blinking, unaware of the situation until then, belatedly realized and was horrified.

“Quickly! Let go quickly!”

“It’s not that I’m not trying!”

He tried so hard that his hand trembled, but the mask wouldn’t come off. It was as if his hand was acting independently.

“In this case, it might be better to cut off the hand…”

“Don’t say ridiculous things!”

Mimir, with eyes that were strangely red, looked as if he would cut off his arm immediately. He snarled fiercely and glared at Mimir.

“Ugh, it seems we’re too late.”

Mimir, who had been groaning and holding his head beside him, eventually gave up.

“It seems the mask has already chosen a new owner.”

***

After that, Mimir upset Kim Jin-woo several times by suggesting cutting off his arm.

While he didn’t want to become the owner of the ominous mask, he wanted to avoid cutting off an arm even more.

“Wouldn’t it be better than having your body stolen?”

Mimir persuaded him so earnestly that he almost agreed. However, barely regaining his reason, he flatly rejected Mimir’s words.

“We still don’t know if this mask is really as ominous as you think.”

“Are you still saying that after seeing the current situation? An item that can control even a part of the High Lord’s body, even if it’s just an arm, can’t possibly be ordinary.”

“You really want to cut off my arm to be satisfied.”

He scowled and glared sharply, and Mimir replied quietly, ‘If that’s the only way…’

“Damn it, both this guy and that guy are eager to covet this body.”

He was dumbfounded at how many beings were trying to nest in his body.

“Hmm.”

As he recalled the numerous beings who had coveted his body, he suddenly thought of the only one who had succeeded in parasitizing his body.

The Parasitic Demon. Although it was out of necessity, it was the first time he had accepted something foreign into his body. And coincidentally or inevitably, the hand holding the mask and trembling was the right hand where the Parasitic Demon had settled.

“Could it be…”

Come to think of it, there was something strange. If the mask had really chosen him as its owner, a message would have appeared.

“My Lord, please do not make the mistake of losing the big by trying not to lose the small.”

“Wait.”

Kim Jin-woo, cutting off Mimir’s persistent words, waved his right arm around as if trying something.

“It seems your idea is wrong.”

“Are you still hoping? The fact that it has forced a part of your Lordship’s body shows what the original owner of the mask intended to leave behind such an ominous thing…”

“No. It’s not my hand that’s being consumed by the mask.”

Mimir looked puzzled at the unexpected words.

“What does that mean…”

“What’s been taken over by the mask…”

Kim Jin-woo looked at Mimir and suddenly raised his right hand.

“It’s not my right arm, but the Parasitic Demon.”

As if to confirm his guess, a message window appeared belatedly.

[Even if it didn’t reveal its energy, the remnants of power left in an item favored by the High Lord are by no means easy to deal with.]

[The Parasitic Demon, which has somewhat transcended the limits of its species by evolving from a mere Parasitic Creature to a Parasitic Demon, could not resist this intense temptation.]

[The Parasitic Demon has defied its master’s will for the first time. That’s how great the Parasitic Demon’s desire for the Hypocrite’s Mask was.]

***

As soon as it escaped the Eternal Warehouse, the Hypocrite’s Mask returned to his embrace as if it had never resisted.

It was as if it knew very well that he would no longer abandon it.

“No, is it the Parasitic Demon that’s relieved?”

It was just a guess, but the fact that no message had appeared made it a certainty.

“Either way, I’ve taken on another troublesome guy.”

Whether it was the Parasitic Demon or himself who was bewitched, it was clear that the mask had no intention of letting him go.

“My Lord, never take his traces lightly. I fear what that wicked man, who threw his most glorious days into the gutter, was thinking when he left behind such an artifact.”

Mimir pleaded repeatedly, almost desperately.

“I have a bad feeling. It’s also a coincidence that his traces are now in your Lordship’s hands, and in the Eternal Warehouse of all places.”

Surprisingly, Mimir was even suspicious of the intentions of his former master, the Cyclops Lord.

“It seems that not everything was a lie after all.”

The black merchant who cared for the Underworld, it seemed that his appearance was not entirely fabricated, and the little imp was more concerned about another upheaval occurring in the Underworld than loyalty and duty to his former master.

“I don’t know what kind of capriciousness this Eternal Warehouse, a monster with a bad temper, has shown, but I will look into this. So please keep my words in mind and don’t even think about testing the mask.”

Recalling Mimir’s last, most earnest appearance, he muttered to himself.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of playing around without knowing anything either.”

Although the questions about the Hypocrite’s Mask were not resolved, he was able to confirm through this incident the change in attitude of the message window, which had been suspicious until now.

If the message window had appeared just a little later, without him realizing the existence of the Parasitic Demon, it was obvious how the situation would have unfolded.

He was a High Lord and was more confident than ever after defeating Duke Luyang. And that heightened confidence would have clouded his judgment.

Greed. He might have been overconfident that his authority, which took precedence over everything else, would devour even the ominousness contained in the mask.

At this point, he had no choice but to be certain that the message window, which had been pushing him with the name of mystery, had completely turned its back on him.

Otherwise, there was no way it would have so strongly recommended such an ominous item as the Hypocrite’s Mask.

“To keep trying to manipulate me like this.”

Even though the message window, which encompassed the entire Underworld, had turned its back on him, he now had a rather relieved expression.

That’s because he felt more than ever that he himself, who had been circling the periphery, had taken a big step towards the center of the Underworld.

“That means you are aware of me that much.”

Kim Jin-woo gazed at the darkness in a corner of the Great Labyrinth and whispered quietly.

“But it won’t go as you please.”

A whisper filled with intense will, and the darkness howled as if in response to his words.

***

After the day he heard the secrets of the Hypocrite’s Mask, its original owner, and the hidden history of the Underworld, the 9th floor of the Underworld began to change rapidly.

The northern, southern, and eastern labyrinths, which had been crouching down to recover from the earthquake damage, began to operate in earnest, and battles broke out in various places.

The Ursus [bear-like creatures] and Tarus [bull-like creatures] attacked each other daily, and the summons from the eastern labyrinth, which had never appeared outside the labyrinth, also crept out and advanced near the Great Labyrinth.

“It’s a complete mess.”

Kim Jin-woo, after hearing all the reports, frankly expressed his feelings.

As a former troglodyte [cave dweller], he knew better than anyone how belligerent the dukes were and how relentlessly they waged war.

But even so, the war between the Ursus and Tarus was excessive.

They didn’t seem to be aware of the existence of another labyrinth trying to take advantage of the situation, and they seemed to be satisfied as long as they could tear each other to pieces.

“Still, it was beneficial to deal with the Satyrs first. Those ignorant bears and bulls are wary and refrain from fighting near the Great Labyrinth.”

Kim Jin-woo nodded at Angela’s words.

“They must be worried about which side I’ll take.”

He had already formed an alliance with the Ursus, but as is usually the case with Underworld promises, it wouldn’t be surprising if it were broken at any time. The bears, who called themselves sages, couldn’t be unaware of that fact.

Also, the Tarus, who didn’t know about the alliance with the Ursus, did everything they could to drag him into this chaotic war.

The envoys from both sides had already visited the Great Labyrinth several times, and the Ursus did everything they could to prevent his mind from changing, while the Tarus did everything they could to win his favor.

It was rather amazing to Kim Jin-woo, who knew their ferocity and power well, that a duke of the deep layers would lower himself and act in such a way.

“But we can’t just keep enjoying this.”

The dukes’ war was overheating. The number of bears and bulls running around in the narrow Underworld was increasing day by day, and the smell of blood they shed was only getting stronger.

The soaring fighting spirit, murderous intent, and all of that combined to create a military spirit that heralded a great war was imminent.

“Which side will you take?”

“You’re saying nonsense even though you know about the alliance with the Ursus.”

Angela was not daunted by her master’s rebuke.

“What value is there in empty promises?”

“Surely you don’t think I’ll break my promise with them.”

Mimir had said that the bears were unusually gentle and trustworthy in the Underworld, and strongly urged him to cooperate with them.

“That’s unknowable. Who knows what’s on your mind, Master.”

Angela smiled brightly and replied. She seemed to be hoping that he would break his promise.

“And isn’t the only one who laughs in the end Master, no matter which side you take?”

She knew very well that her greedy master would never choose to coexist with the dukes, and she was sure that the dukes would not be able to defeat her master.

So she seemed to be more looking forward to how he would come out than the direction of the war.

As if to satisfy her curiosity, the war intensified. Thousands of bears and bulls faced off in an open space quite far from the Great Labyrinth.

And the two races sent envoys at the same time, as if they had made a promise.