Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 120

Dungeon Journal-120

# 120

Dungeon Journal

Chapter 121

“We’re giving up on advancing to the 10th floor for the time being.”

For Kim Jin-woo, who had been trying to find a clue to reach the deeper levels by joining the wars on the 10th and even the 11th floor, this was a heartbreaking decision.

However, if Ustus’s words were true, expanding their forces any further amidst the impending chaos would be dangerous.

Dominique seemed to agree, meticulously pointing out the vulnerabilities in defense caused by the expansion of the front lines.

Yet, Jin-woo still couldn’t shake off his doubts about the reliability of the information.

He couldn’t understand how a mere labyrinth lord could have sensed the impending disaster in the underground before anyone else.

When Dominique asked how they could trust Ustus’s words, Kim Jin-woo replied with conviction.

“We have no choice but to trust him. Ustus and the Fragments are the ones who created this situation.”

Surprisingly, the Fragment of the one-eyed monarch was preparing to revert to the past.

He didn’t know exactly how it was being done, but the recent war on the 11th floor alone proved that the plan had succeeded.

The question now was when the integration of the underground would begin in earnest.

“From now on, inform all the labyrinth lords on the 9th floor. Switch the labyrinth system to a war-ready state to prepare for the upcoming war.”

“What if the integration of the floors doesn’t happen?”

To Angela’s question, Kim Jin-woo replied without hesitation.

“Then we’ll use those forces to attack the 10th floor.”

***

The entire 9th floor is bustling with war preparations. All the labyrinth lords are making a fuss about upgrading their cores and expanding their forces simultaneously, and in the process, the wild creatures of the 9th floor have been completely wiped out.

If the black marketeer were around, he would definitely have something to say.

However, the black marketeer, who had completely lost contact along with the news of the war on the 11th floor, no longer appeared on the 9th floor. Jin-woo wondered where he was and what he was doing, but there was no way to know.

So, Kim Jin-woo hurried his war preparations, completely excluding the black marketeer and the Counts of the 11th floor.

“Is a real war really going to happen?”

Uther’s squishy body, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, stiffened at the news of the war. From then on, Uther began to spread masses of gluttony throughout the 9th floor.

He didn’t seem to be considering recruiting new troops from the start.

After all, every being in the underground had a way to survive. And Uther seemed to be betting his survival on scouting and exploration.

Although he had been severely defeated by Kim Jin-woo and forcibly became a knight, he didn’t seem to have lost much in the end, so he didn’t hesitate to act.

The masses of gluttony spread throughout the underground. Uther’s body, which had recently become quite obese, became slender again.

“My friend, even if something happens, don’t make enemies.”

Kim Jin-woo, seeing Uther’s bizarre body, which showed his rising and falling fortunes so clearly, shook his head.

“Hehe, I’m always careful. Live long and prosper. Isn’t that my motto?”

His nonexistent hands rubbed together as he spoke, making Jin-woo laugh in spite of himself.

“Actually, I was going to ask you to scout anyway. Unlike the previous wars where the passages were fixed, we don’t know when and where the war will start, so your role is crucial.”

As he said that, he threw three summoning stones and a top-grade Down’s Jam [a potent energy source] from his chest, which Uther quickly devoured.

His actions, without any consideration of giving them to his subordinates or using them for the labyrinth, made even him smile wryly.

“My subordinates are all from my body. I need to get stronger so that my subordinates can get stronger, so my getting stronger is the top priority.”

His excuse sounded plausible in its own way, so Kim Jin-woo gave him two more summoning stones than he had prepared.

“Ah…”

Seeing Uther devour the summoning stones like that, Kim Jin-woo suddenly thought of the Parasites.

In the early days, he couldn’t imagine running the labyrinth without the Parasites, but now that his abilities had grown, he mostly forgot about their existence unless they sensed something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it, and report immediately if anything happens. I will always allow you to open the portal.”

Always opening the portal directly connected to the core was a dangerous decision, but Uther, who was quick-witted and greedy, would never betray him.

The benefits he had enjoyed by his side were enormous, so he knew better than anyone who he needed to be with to profit.

“Oh my! I, Uther, am overwhelmed by the King’s trust.”

Uther exaggeratedly wagged his squishy body, making a fuss.

He was sure that Uther would use this opportunity to raise his profile among the labyrinth lords around him.

Uther, who thought that his master’s prestige was his own, would definitely do that.

Kim Jin-woo, watching Uther grovel abjectly, turned around and toured the other labyrinths to check their war preparations.

In general, the labyrinths that had been by his side for a long time were making steady progress in their war preparations, while the labyrinths that had joined later were only pretending to prepare reluctantly.

Kim Jin-woo thoroughly excluded such labyrinths from his forces.

After all, gathering a bunch of riffraff would not be of great help. They might be useful just for fighting, but if they were manipulated by the enemy’s schemes, they would only become a hindrance.

So, he classified the labyrinths that were not sincere in their war preparations and separated them. Those who could not even be used as meat shields would bitterly regret it on the day the war began.

It wasn’t just the other labyrinths on the 9th floor that were busy preparing for war. The Naga Fortress was also busier than ever, hurrying its war preparations.

That’s because they were facing a powerful enemy that even the Counts of the 11th floor’s depths would struggle against.

“When you think about it, we’ve never *not* been preparing for war.”

Dominique said.

At first, they had to prepare for invasions by wild creatures, and then they had to prepare for the war with the Azure Dragon King.

Since then, the Naga Fortress had always been at the center of war. There was nothing new about it now.

Perhaps that’s why the Nagas preparing for war seemed more excited than nervous.

“All Nagas tend to resemble their master’s disposition.”

“Ugh. Am I that belligerent?”

Come to think of it, he himself had always chosen war over coexistence, so he couldn’t help but smile wryly.

It seemed that his past suffering from the underground machinations had unknowingly influenced him to think of hostility before coexistence.

But he didn’t regret his decision now.

He had simply regained the intensity he had lost since ascending to the surface.

“But what is Morrigan doing?”

“She’s been lost in thought all day. I could never tell what she was thinking, but now I understand even less. So, just in case, I’ve put a guard on her, so we can prevent the worst.”

Perhaps because of Morrigan’s origins, Dominique didn’t trust her at all. Jin-woo smiled wryly at the mention that Hoya, who was skilled at stealth and hiding his presence, was keeping a close watch on her 24 hours a day.

“Call Hoya back for now. I’ll talk to her separately.”

Morrigan was undoubtedly the strongest card in the Naga Fortress. He couldn’t just leave her in such an ambiguous state.

“Master.”

“I’m listening.”

“Don’t trust Morrigan and Heimdall. There is more that is unknown about the old monarchs than is known. We don’t know what kind of covenant they had with the old master.”

Dominique’s words were something he had also been aware of. He couldn’t imagine that the same system existed in the past.

If the monarchs who operated and ruled the labyrinths at that time managed their subordinates in a different way, then the current system would not be able to control the ancient war heroes.

So, he went to see Morrigan without delay.

“My King.”

The Raven of the Battlefield, who was always proud and arrogant, looked noticeably emaciated.

“What were you thinking so hard about that you didn’t even know I was here?”

Kim Jin-woo could tell that her worries were deeper than he thought, as she, who was so sensitive, hadn’t noticed his presence until he was right next to her.

“I was just confused by the fact that the Fragment of the old master exists.”

She honestly revealed her inner thoughts without beating around the bush.

*Yes, that’s the Raven of the Battlefield.*

Seeing this pure warrior who didn’t belong in the underground, Kim Jin-woo was able to make a decision that he hadn’t been able to make until now.

Morrigan, this mighty raven, was too valuable to send back to her old master.

“Morrigan.”

“Yes.”

Quentus always pointed out her impolite, short, and insincere answer, but he didn’t feel bad at all. Instead, he smiled at her with pleasure.

“Why again…”

Morrigan’s expression hardened as she realized that her sly master was plotting something again.

“Do you miss your old master?”

As expected of her honest self, she couldn’t answer easily. Until recently, he had been uncomfortable seeing her like that, but now he felt more at ease.

At least this proud raven wouldn’t lie to him.

“You can be honest. I didn’t come to scold you.”

He said that, but she still remained silent. It wouldn’t be easy to talk about her old master in front of her new master.

Even though he knew that, he stubbornly forced her to answer.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she admitted the fact.

“The old master taught me the pride of a warrior.”

Kim Jin-woo, smiling at her short answer, asked one more question.

“If you could go back, would you go back?”

“What do you mean…?”

Morrigan was surprised by this question and asked back.

“I mean exactly what I say. I’m asking if you would go back if there was a way to go back to your old master.”

Her eyes deepened as she quickly regained her composure. She narrowed her eyes and looked at his expression, as if trying to guess the intentions of this sly master.

“Even if he is just a Fragment, would you still go back?”

Morrigan pondered for a long time at his question before finally opening her mouth.