Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 307

Dungeon Journal-307

# 307

Dungeon Journal

Episode 308

Instead of waiting for the Dragon Emperor’s answer, Kim Jin-woo unleashed the power of the Evil Dragon.

“I ask you again. Has your answer changed?”

It wasn’t a question asked expecting a genuine response. From the start, the answer was practically predetermined.

Although corrupted and tainted by ‘Night,’ becoming something that was hardly a dragon anymore, the core of the Evil Dragon’s being was still that of a dragon. The Dragon Emperor and his clan, so proud of their heritage, would definitely not be able to ignore the power of the Earth Dragon.

And as he expected, the Dragon Emperor didn’t deny the dragon’s power he possessed, even though it had been contaminated and altered by ‘Night.’ However, he didn’t readily accept the proposal either.

“Dragon Emperor Agrippus,” Kim Jin-woo began, his voice steady.

“Do you and your clan reject me?”

That was impossible. Though it had become a grotesque, half-digested piece of garbage, the authority of the Earth Dragon was real, and the Drakans could not reject that authority.

Knowing this well, he didn’t press the Dragon Emperor any further.

“Ah……”

The Dragon Emperor’s lips, which had been silent, opened after a long pause. A sigh escaped.

“It is joyful that the clan’s wish has been fulfilled, but the brilliant golden scales have become dull darkness, and pride and glory have vanished without a trace.”

The Dragon Emperor’s voice was so gloomy that it was hard to believe he had encountered the dragon’s power he had so longed for.

“We have found the origin we have longed for, but we have lost tomorrow, and we have lost all the possibilities and future given to our clan.”

As expected, the Drakans, with their strong sense of pride, were naturally unhappy with the power of the Earth Dragon, which had been half-consumed by the malice of the Underworld Serpent [a powerful entity associated with darkness and corruption].

“But nevertheless, I and my clan cannot deny you.”

The Dragon Emperor’s knees, which seemed unbendable, buckled.

“Because I have not forgotten that the hot blood flowing in my body is rooted in the dragon.”

The Dragon Emperor, who had been as stiff as his noble spirit, finally bowed his head. Following him, many Drakans knelt in submission.

“I and my clan acknowledge that you have inherited the power of the Earth Dragon, and we will show loyalty befitting it.”

[Even when the most powerful Dukes were watching the usurper, the Drakans did not lose their pride. Forcing them to be loyal is almost impossible.]

[The only thing that can make such proud Drakans submit is the authority of the Earth Dragon, which is their origin. And fortunately, you have the power of the Earth Dragon with you, even if it has been corrupted.]

[You have successfully gained the loyalty of Dragon Emperor Agrippus and the thousand Dragon Knights who follow him.]

[Dragon Emperor Agrippus’s Labyrinth is newly incorporated into the Great Labyrinth’s forces.]

Only after seeing the bowing Drakans beyond the message did Kim Jin-woo finally withdraw the aura of the Evil Dragon.

In the end, the Dragon Emperor and the Drakans chose to migrate to the Labyrinth. They knew the spirit of their declining clan could not overcome the current chaos, and they decided to preserve their core and plan for the future, suppressing their resentment.

“I will follow soon,” the Dragon Emperor said.

Kim Jin-woo nodded.

“Then let’s hurry,” he replied.

At his quiet words, the expedition began to move forward again.

“Why, are you disappointed that you couldn’t absorb the power of the Drakans?” he asked, looking at the Nagas [a race of serpent-like beings] who kept looking back as if reluctant to leave.

“The Dragon Emperor is a rare trustworthy person in the Underworld. Gaining the loyalty of such a Dragon Emperor is a great thing,” Dominic, representing the Nagas, stepped forward and said. Kim Jin-woo nodded, adding, “The Naga mages seem to think differently.”

At those words, Dominic turned to find the Naga mages looking gloomy and dejected.

“Well, Naga mages are originally oddballs.”

“But others, though to varying degrees, must feel the same way.”

This time, Dominic didn’t deny it.

It was no wonder. Now that the Nagas had developed a taste for consuming enemies and were enjoying it, they must have been inwardly disappointed to turn away from such high-quality prey as the Dragon Emperor and the Drakans.

“Don’t be disappointed. I promise I will never interfere with your meals in the future.”

However, he was ultimately unable to keep his word. Before even a few days had passed, he had to retract his words in front of a massive labyrinth.

“Stand by.”

The same situation as before, but this time, even the Nagas didn’t rashly express their disappointment. Everyone standing there knew how deep the labyrinth and its master’s bad relationship was.

“I don’t think I can yield to you this time either.”

The huge labyrinth glimpsed beyond the tangled spiderwebs was the home of the venomous hell spiders and the castle of the Venom Lord, one of the most powerful Dukes of the Underworld.

And it was also the place where he had spent most of his life, the narrow chicken coop and dugout.

Step, step.

Suddenly, Kim Jin-woo stopped, feeling an unfamiliar sensation grabbing his hand. He saw faint spiderwebs tangled around it. It was a deadly trap to block intruders, a shackle that bound the diggers [slaves forced to mine and dig in the Underworld], the spiderweb of the hell spider.

“Yes. So many people died because of this spiderweb.”

In the past, some adults risked their lives to escape. They were strong-willed enough not to give in to the hard slave labor, but not strong enough to overcome this tough spiderweb.

And they all failed to escape the spiderweb and became food for the spider sentries wandering around the labyrinth.

“The adults said that this spiderweb could never be cut.”

Kim Jin-woo, staring at the spiderweb wrapped around his wrist, waved his hand.

Snap.

The bondage that had made so many diggers give up on escaping and spend their lives in narrow, damp dugouts was cut off so easily with that casual gesture.

“But now, it can’t stop me even for a moment.”

His gaze turned to the air. A shadow flickered in the darkness, a spider sentry. This being, who had noticed the intruder long ago, couldn’t even move, even though the spiderweb he had painstakingly created was being cut and severed.

“Pathetic. Pathetic.”

They were no longer predators, merely prey trembling in fear. Even though they had noticed his gaze, the spider sentries didn’t move, as if their bodies were tied to the spiderweb they had created.

They seemed to be hoping that this ferocious beast that had suddenly visited would pretend not to notice them and pass by.

“But you also didn’t pretend not to notice those pitiful people.”

At the same time as the quiet murmur, a black aura rose in all directions and soon bound the spider sentries.

Squeak, screech.

A pathetic sound like a cricket crying, the spider sentries screamed wildly. But even that didn’t last long. They were soon caught up in the Authority of Gluttony [Kim Jin-woo’s unique power], and disappeared without a trace.

Step, step.

Kim Jin-woo moved forward again. Following his steps, the black aura left like footprints began to flow along the spiderwebs surrounding all sides. The Authority of Gluttony, moving in that way, swallowed countless spider sentries hiding in the darkness and watching him.

Screech! Screech!

Spiders screamed and died everywhere. And it was over before he had even taken ten steps.

Silence, everything became quiet.

But the current silence was like the calm before the storm, and it could be felt that the hell spiders, walking without a sound, were in an uproar inside the labyrinth.

“Come out,” Kim Jin-woo whispered softly.

“If you don’t come out, I will devour the labyrinth whole.”

As if hearing his words, the hell spiders crouching beyond the labyrinth finally revealed themselves. And among them was their leader, the Spider Duke, whom he had so hated.

“Long time no see.”

Kim Jin-woo spoke first, with a long distance between them.

“Before, I thought you wouldn’t remember me.”

He looked as if he had met an old friend.

“So I felt that revenge was futile. I wondered what was the point of taking revenge on a guy who doesn’t even remember me anyway. Because in this Underworld, being weak is a sin. Once I realized that, I didn’t think about revenge or anything else.”

What conversation was needed between the Spider Duke and himself? With even revenge losing its meaning, he thought that the Spider Duke was now just one of the many Dukes of the Underworld.

“But that wasn’t the case. I realized that to you, I wasn’t just one of the many slaves, but an important person who needed to be carefully managed. So I realized. That you would remember me.”

He realized that the many things that had flowed like coincidences were inevitable, and that the Spider Duke was also a manager who managed the inevitability.

“But nothing changed. At some point, I felt that even the time I spent paying attention to you was a waste. Because to me now, you are a pathetic and insignificant existence, just like you used to think of the diggers.”

His voice gradually subsided.

“But you know.”

And at some point, it became something closer to a low growl rather than a language.

“Nevertheless, you are not nothing to me.”

Light began to overflow from Kim Jin-woo’s eyes.

“Now that I face you like this, I know.”

The hell spiders surrounding the Spider Duke cried out, making a rattling sound at the unusual momentum. But that was only for a moment, and they soon had to tremble, hitting their jaws together.

The presence of the High Lord [a title denoting immense power], which rose like a tsunami, pressed down on them as if to crush them.

“What I want to do to you now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the Authority of Gluttony rose from his whole body.

“I guess I still want to take revenge.”

The Authority that stretched out in all directions covered the hell spiders.