Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 10

Dungeon Journal – Episode 11

#6. Hell Spider

[Naga Warrior has killed a Horned Rat.]

[Naga Warrior has killed a Horned Rat.]

[Naga Soldier has killed a Horned Rat.]

[Naga Warrior has killed a Horned Rat.]

No sooner had the battle begun than message windows popped up rapidly. Kim Jin-woo felt almost embarrassed at his earlier nervousness, given the overwhelming power of the Nagas.

Against the giant rats, some reaching 2 meters (approximately 6.5 feet) in height, the Naga Warriors swung their blunt weapons and shields with brutal force. Each strike crushed the Horned Rats, sending them tumbling across the floor with horrifying screams.

[Naga Warrior has sustained a very minor injury from a Horned Rat’s attack.]

Occasionally, messages appeared indicating minor injuries to the Naga Warriors, who fearlessly plunged into the swarm of Horned Rats. These were usually just scratches and cuts.

Kim Jin-woo stopped, watching the one-sided battle between the Nagas and the Horned Rats.

Seeing the Naga Warriors wielding their shields and blunt weapons with such savage force, and the Naga Soldiers piercing with their sharp spears, he realized there was nothing for him to do but observe.

[The battle has ended. Kim Jin-woo (Naga’s Labyrinth) has won.]

As expected, the battle termination message appeared shortly after the fighting began.

“Woo-oh-oh!”

The Nagas, standing amidst the mangled corpses of the Horned Rats, roared in victory. It was a pathetic excuse for an army in terms of size, but a victory nonetheless.

Kim Jin-woo felt a strange warmth in his chest. It was a battle in an underground world that no one would ever acknowledge, but he felt strangely pleased that his Nagas had repelled the invaders.

[You have led the first battle to victory. The Horned Rat horde has been crushed. The troops who participated in the battle have become more seasoned. Their rank may increase if they continue to participate in battles.]

[The Naga Warriors and Soldiers have become slightly more accustomed to battle. The opponent was too weak to gain significant experience.]

[Dungeon Owner Kim Jin-woo directly commanded the battle. The enemy was too weak, but it is remarkable that there were no casualties among friendly forces. The Dungeon Owner’s Charisma has increased slightly.]

The constant stream of message windows didn’t allow him to dwell on sentimentality. He focused on the fact that his Charisma as a Dungeon Owner had increased.

[Naga’s Labyrinth] (Active)

□ Owner Kim Jin-woo (6th Grade) (Novice Commander)

□ 3rd Grade Labyrinth (Size 18X18)

□ Dungeon Energy 8/100

□ Durability 2148/2148

□ Facilities

* Owner’s Room (2nd Grade)

* Portal (Cooldown 20:17:15 0/1)

* Gate (350/350)

* Warehouse (540/2500)

* Naga Nest (30/40)

-4th Grade facilities must be upgraded to be activated.

□ Troops (30/40)

* Naga Handmaiden (Dominique/Hero) 1/10

* Naga Warrior (2nd Grade) 2/6

* Naga Soldier (1st Grade) 2/2

* Naga Worker (1st Grade) 4/1

As expected, there was a new item he hadn’t noticed before.

While Kim Jin-woo was absorbed in the status window, Dominique efficiently directed the Nagas to move the corpses of the Horned Rats to the warehouse.

Long trails of blood marked the passage, but no one seemed to care. After all, the underground was that kind of place.

It was only natural for the defeated to offer everything to the victors. The corpses of the Horned Rats, dragged away like that, would be broken down, and everything from their skin to their bones would be exploited.

‘Master, congratulations on the victory,’ Dominique said. Her refreshing congratulations, a stark contrast to the pungent smell of blood, made him sigh and turn away.

The scent of the cursed underground monsters’ blood made him feel strangely depressed.

***

Kim Jin-woo visited Mr. Baek after a long interval. Their wariness of each other had grown since their last encounter, but Mr. Baek remained his best source of information.

“Why? Regretting missing out now?” Mr. Baek chuckled, answering his question about the Hell Spiders. He didn’t seem to mind the lingering tension from their previous meeting.

“Why don’t you try to join now?”

“Is there still a spot available?”

Mr. Baek looked surprised, perhaps not expecting Kim Jin-woo to accept so readily, given his firm refusal last time.

“The advance team has already departed, so if you were to join, it would have to be with the main force in the second wave…”

The way he phrased it, he seemed hesitant about letting Kim Jin-woo join the main force, though he might have considered him for the advance team.

His attitude was noticeably different from before. It just goes to show that timing is everything.

“What’s your level?”

“I was born and raised on the 12th floor.”

Mr. Baek’s eyes widened at his answer.

“The 12th floor, you say…”

“Until I came to the surface, I lived in a labyrinth belonging to one of the Underground Dukes.”

Mr. Baek momentarily lost his composure, gaping at the revelation that Kim Jin-woo was born in the labyrinth of an Underground Duke.

Generally, a Dungeon Baby’s level was determined by the floor and labyrinth in which they were raised.

It was common knowledge that Dungeon Babies born and raised on the 1st floor were only slightly stronger than ordinary people, while those born on the 5th floor were considered beasts that even veteran explorers struggled to handle.

Dungeon Babies born in the deep layers below the 10th floor were considered true monsters.

And Kim Jin-woo was one of those monsters. No wonder Mr. Baek was so surprised.

After a long pause, Mr. Baek regained his composure and straightened his posture. His demeanor and gaze were noticeably different.

“So, you’re the only Level 12 Dungeon Baby in Korea who doesn’t hunt.”

This time, Kim Jin-woo remained silent. The longer the conversation went on, the more unpleasant memories would surface.

“How about it? Can you make a spot for me?”

Instead of replying, he reiterated his question about joining the Hell Spider hunting team. Mr. Baek nodded without hesitation.

“If you’re Level 12, I’ll create a spot even if one doesn’t exist.”

“I don’t like things getting complicated.”

The only reason he revealed his level, which he had kept hidden until now, was because he felt the need to explore the Hell Spiders. He hated troublesome situations.

“If you do that, the distribution will…”

“I don’t care. I’ll accept whatever distribution you offer.”

Only then did Mr. Baek nod. Judging by his expression, he seemed to understand Kim Jin-woo’s intentions and was calculating accordingly, so Kim Jin-woo indulged him appropriately.

“I’ll repay the favor.”

He was the only Level 12 Dungeon Baby in Korea. Mr. Baek wasn’t foolish enough to underestimate the value of his promise.

“Then I’ll contact you sometime tonight or tomorrow morning.”

At Mr. Baek’s words, Kim Jin-woo said his goodbyes and left the appraisal office.

***

There were two more invasions after that. Even though Kim Jin-woo was away, they successfully defended the labyrinth without any damage under Dominique’s command.

He obtained six Low-Grade Down Jams from the three defensive battles.

In addition, two more Down Jams were found among the resources collected by the Naga Workers, meaning Kim Jin-woo had essentially earned a profit of ten million won (approximately $7,500 USD) in a week without lifting a finger.

But instead of celebrating, he silently threw the Down Jams into the altar. Each one contained about 2 energy, and the Down Jams he threw in converted into 14 Dungeon Energy.

□ Dungeon Energy 22/100

If he summoned more troops, the nest’s capacity would only have 10 slots left, and he didn’t have enough Dungeon Energy to raise the labyrinth’s grade.

Reluctantly, he summoned Naga Archers to exactly match the nest’s capacity and then prepared to join the Hell Spider exploration team.

He created an alibi for his parents to avoid worrying them and, with Mr. Baek’s help, borrowed the latest exploration equipment.

Seeing so many new pieces of equipment that he had never encountered before, he realized how much progress had been made among explorers in the five years since he left the labyrinth.

He was given a special liquid to soften the skin of creatures or beasts, blades designed to cut and pierce that skin, and a crossbow.

In addition, he received a fairly sturdy and durable protective suit.

“I heard that there are crazy bastards in other countries who bring in all sorts of ridiculous things like anti-materiel sniper rifles and RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades], but as you know, this is the best we can do in Korea. And honestly, what crazy bastard would use a loud gun just to die? There’s no reason to carry a gun unless you’re going to gather all the creatures in the neighborhood.”

Mr. Baek then explained how to use the new weapons in detail, but Kim Jin-woo’s expression remained indifferent.

After all, the only weapon he intended to use primarily was a somewhat broad alloy steel sword, 1.2 meters (approximately 4 feet) long and 7 centimeters (approximately 2.75 inches) wide.

“Good luck.”

“Yes.”

With Mr. Baek’s send-off, he left the appraisal office. After checking the state of the labyrinth and getting enough rest the day before departure, he set off for the Paju Gate, the designated meeting point, the next morning.

“Come on, hurry up!”

“Ugh, I can’t go down for a long time. Why are you nagging me even about going to the bathroom for the last time!”

“It’s the same thing to wipe your butt anyway, why are you whining so much, you little sissy.”

The rest facilities and various other amenities set up in the remote mountain valley were crowded with people who appeared to be explorers.

The soldiers guarding the area were also chatting, their faces showing no signs of tension.

It was once one of the battlefields where the ‘Under War,’ a global conflict fought for the survival of humanity, took place, but now there wasn’t even a trace of it.

If it weren’t for the various firearms aimed at the large pit in the center of the facilities, he would have thought it was a highway rest stop.

Kim Jin-woo, having passed the noisy explorers who were fussing over their equipment before entering the underground, was looking around when someone approached him from afar.

“Are you Mr. Kim Jin-woo?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m the driver, Jeong Ji-hyeok. Our team is gathered over there.”

There are levels even among explorers. Those who can directly inflict damage on creatures or beasts, excluding Dungeon Babies or veteran explorers, are called drivers and play the role of diverting the attention of the prey.

In other words, they were a kind of shield, and only those who survived and carried out that difficult task were called true explorers.

Of course, it didn’t matter to Kim Jin-woo. He was a Dungeon Baby who didn’t need to go through such a process at all.

Following Jeong Ji-hyeok’s guidance, he saw about 20 explorers gathered in the distance.

Kim Jin-woo frowned slightly, noticing there were fewer people than he expected, but a woman jumped out of the group and greeted him.

“Are you Mr. Kim Jin-woo?”

“Yes, but who are you?”

There was no rule that women couldn’t be explorers, but they were rare. Narrowing his eyes, he gave her a searching look. The woman raised the corners of her mouth and laughed in a somewhat masculine way.

“I’m Lee Jun-yeong, the commander of this Hell Spider hunt. I’m a Level 8 Dungeon Baby.”

Kim Jin-woo looked surprised at her greeting. It was the first time he had heard of a female Dungeon Baby who had survived to Level 8, so he was impressed. She gave him that manly laugh again.

“We’ll talk on the way. Let’s head in right away.”

Before he could even greet the group, Lee Jun-yeong declared their departure. The men who had been sitting around got up and followed her towards the entrance to the underground.

The soldiers guarding the large pit, Paju Gate, didn’t bother with a formal inspection but simply wrote down the number of people in the ledger and let them pass.

“Mr. Kim Jin-woo, these are the people who will be in charge of the main attack this time.”

As soon as they entered the underground entrance, Lee Jun-yeong immediately introduced the core team members. Out of the 22 team members, a total of seven people, including Kim Jin-woo, were considered the core of the hunting team.

They were all Level 5 to Level 6 Dungeon Babies, except for Kim Jeong-tae, who introduced himself as a regular explorer.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Jin-woo. My level is 7.”

He ended the greeting by roughly stating a level he had agreed upon with Mr. Baek.

Lee Jun-yeong didn’t bother introducing the regular explorers, except for those in charge of the main attack, and Kim Jin-woo didn’t bother greeting them first.

After all, regular explorers were people who could die at any moment, and there was no point in forming attachments, whether short-term or long-term. Perhaps knowing this, none of them seemed disappointed.

“Then let’s go. It’s quite a distance to the advance team.”

With her words, the main force of the Hell Spider hunting team began to move deeper into the underground.