Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 175

Dungeon Journal – Episode 176

67. The Traitor

“Song Jong-chul is a turncoat.”

Even Kim Jin-woo, who already knew that Song Jong-chul was two-faced, was taken aback by Lee Jun-young’s confident assertion.

“From the start, that bastard was a piece of trash who didn’t care about the rights of Seekers or the pain of Dungeon Babies.”

She began so vehemently, then rattled off Song Jong-chul’s past like a machine gun.

“Back when we were living like animals, scrounging in caves, not everyone was in the same boat. Some were quick to cozy up to the beings of the underground and live in luxury. That’s Song Jong-chul and his gang.”

This time, Kim Jin-woo couldn’t help but be shocked. It was a time when it was hard enough to survive even when everyone was united and working together.

So many adults had died to save him, and others had lived by looking out for one another in the same way. Yet, he was the only one who made it to the surface from the 12th floor.

To think that there were beings who sucked the blood of their own kind and lived by flattering the masters of the labyrinth was hard to believe.

“You don’t believe me.”

“If that’s true, why did you leave Song Jong-chul alone? As far as I know, the government doesn’t accept trash like the human hunters.”

He asked. Many hunters who had drunk the blood and eaten the flesh of their own kind had been punished or isolated from society.

He couldn’t understand why only Song Jong-chul and his gang had been left alone.

“I hate to admit it, but we’re a minority. We had to stick together to adapt and survive on the surface. We may be treated like people now, but when the war had just ended, almost no one treated us like equals.”

Lee Jun-young spoke, emphasizing how callous and two-faced the surface dwellers were. They talked about the victims of the war, but in reality, they looked at them as if they were monsters from the underground.

“It’s only now that they know we’re worth money that they treat us this well. Back then, we thought it would be foolish to split into factions and fight among ourselves. But that was a mistake.”

There’s a saying: 의심암귀 (疑心暗鬼) [pronounced euisim-amgwi, meaning ‘suspicion breeds ghosts,’ or that unfounded suspicion can create imaginary fears].

Looking back at the situation of the Dungeon Babies at that time, one could understand what situation they were in and what thoughts led them to make such a bad move.

It wasn’t impossible to understand.

Perhaps they had clung to each other and endured the external pressure and oppression in order to survive.

Even now, with their elevated social status, the Dungeon Babies’ unusually strong bond and solidarity would have only grown stronger.

But even so, there were still some unresolved issues.

“Why didn’t you fix it? There must have been plenty of opportunities afterward.”

At Kim Jin-woo’s question, she sighed.

“Those who knew about Song Jong-chul and his gang’s past often had accidents while exploring. And by the time we realized that, most of our comrades were already dead. In contrast, Song Jong-chul had built quite a reputation as a true man who cared for his comrades. It was already too late.”

It was understandable. Song Jong-chul’s current fame and status couldn’t have been built overnight. He had probably been slowly building his position for a long time, with the present situation in mind.

In the process, countless benefits had gone to the Seekers, and as a result, the current Seekers regarded Song Jong-chul as a guardian who protected their rights and positions.

The majority of Dungeon Babies who knew the truth were already dead, and the remaining ones were watching Song Jong-chul’s every move and remained silent.

Lee Jun-young was probably one of those who remained silent.

But her silence was finally broken today, after a long time.

“But it’s not just because of the past that I hate Song Jong-chul and his gang. If they had really turned over a new leaf and tried to correct their past mistakes, I would have accepted them.”

Lee Jun-young’s eyes sharpened.

“Then?”

“That’s right. Their evil deeds are not over yet.”

She gnashed her teeth, saying that they were still no different from the past.

“Song Jong-chul is also behind my addiction to Down Jam.”

What was she talking about? Kim Jin-woo looked at her with a serious expression.

“The Seeker Association controls the production and distribution of drugs made from Down Jam.”

Kim Jin-woo had also suspected this. When he learned that all the missing Down Jam had gone to the Association, he had wondered if they might be behind the drug distribution.

But that alone wasn’t enough to hold her responsible for her addiction to Down Jam.

As if sensing his thoughts, she added an explanation.

“I’ve never tried to escape reality with drugs.”

Her eyes flashed with self-disgust, perhaps recalling her recent past when she had lived like an animal, addicted to Down Jam.

“Could it be…?”

“That’s right. Jung Chan-shik… Jung Chan-shik got me addicted without my knowledge.”

Kim Jin-woo felt as if the scattered pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together. It was hard to believe that she, who was so strong and upright, had turned to drugs to forget her pain.

It was also strange that Jung Chan-shik, who was always with Lee Jun-young, who hated Song Jong-chul, was in the Association.

But now he knew why.

“Jung Chan-shik is in league with Song Jong-chul.”

“Maybe he was acting on Song Jong-chul’s orders from the beginning.”

The light of pain flashing behind her dark eyes told him that she was suffering from Jung Chan-shik’s betrayal.

“Aren’t you angry?”

Kim Jin-woo looked straight at Lee Jun-young and asked.

“I was angry. But now I have more expectations than anger.”

Her words were not a lie. The Eye of Truth told him so, and her unwavering dark eyes confirmed it.

“Why?”

When he asked why, she bared her white teeth and smiled.

“Because Song Jong-chul has made you his enemy.”

When the conversation ended, Kim Jin-woo’s gaze toward Lee Jun-young was much softer than before.

That was because he had already seen through the Eye of Truth that everything she had said was true, and he realized that there was virtually no possibility that she would side with Song Jong-chul and the Association.

Lee Jun-young also seemed to have noticed this, and she treated him with a rather friendly attitude. It was as if they had returned to the days when they were exploring together.

But it was impossible for him and her to go back to the past.

“I will never betray you, Jin-woo, or rather, Master Jin-woo.”

He was the High Lord who ruled the Great Labyrinth and the absolute being who held the power of life and death over her, and she was just a newcomer from the underground who had entrusted everything to him.

She swore allegiance to him, and he accepted. Although it wasn’t the allegiance and obedience enforced by the underground system, her oath was sincere.

“If there’s anything you want me to do, just tell me. I’ll follow you no matter what. For example…”

Lee Jun-young’s mischievous face, with her deliberately seductive gestures, only looked ridiculous.

She seemed to have completely regained her past self. So, even though he understood the meaning hidden in her playful joke, he just laughed it off.

“I mean it.”

She pouted at him, then scratched her cheek as if she felt her own appearance was funny, and laughed heartily.

Laughing so heartily, she seemed as uninhibited as she had been back in the day when she led the Seeker team.

***

After hearing about Song Jong-chul’s past from Lee Jun-young, Kim Jin-woo completely revised his plan. He had been planning to crush the Association with force, but now he had decided to swallow it whole.

She not only fully supported his plan but also secretly gathered those who had been at odds with Song Jong-chul by mobilizing all her connections.

“For now, it’s enough to let them know that they’re not alone. That alone will be a great help to those who have been intimidated.”

Many of those who had been gathered had stopped going to the underground for fear of dying mysteriously during exploration.

They gained great strength just from the fact that there were others besides themselves who were concerned about the Association’s actions.

Kim Jin-woo himself didn’t have any backing, so his actions on the surface were bound to be passive and cautious.

Even he, whose martial prowess was unparalleled, was in this situation, so how much more would others be?

“The surface is complicated. The strong have to be mindful of the weak.”

Dominique, who had been watching quietly, said with a face that she couldn’t understand at all.

To her, a being from the underground who believed that strength was a virtue and weakness was a sin, this aspect of the surface was hard to accept.

“There’s something called law on the surface, just like the laws of the underground.”

His honest feeling was that he wanted to smash the Association and take down its sign, but if he did, he would be branded as a criminal and wouldn’t be able to set foot on the surface.

“How dare you! Insignificant surface dwellers!”

Dominique, upon hearing this, imagined something that hadn’t even happened yet and became furious, huffing and puffing.

Unlike her cold and intellectual image, Lee Jun-young smiled, perhaps finding her easily excited and talkative appearance amusing.

“You’re a cute young lady.”

Her smile, which had become noticeably more relaxed since coming to the surface, felt generous.

It was a somewhat mischievous and playful remark, but Kim Jin-woo ignored it and seriously praised Dominique.

“She’s a good subordinate. I wouldn’t be here without her.”

“It seems so.”

Lee Jun-young expressed her sympathy, seeing Dominique not even trying to hide her blind affection and loyalty.

“Dominique is smart, but she’s not used to the surface. So, Jun-young, you’ll have to help her a lot in the future.”

It had only been a day since they had become master and servant after the oath of allegiance, and it hadn’t even been a full day since they had started speaking informally. But his casual way of speaking had something that made people follow him naturally, beyond just being comfortable.

Was this what they called charisma?

Lee Jun-young nodded her head without realizing it, accepting his command, and let out a small exclamation.

The ordinary man who had seemed somewhat clumsy when she first saw him was now an absolute being who naturally looked down on people with arrogance.

It suited him so well that Lee Jun-young couldn’t help but stare at him.

“Haa.”

Lee Jun-young, who had been staring blankly at him for a moment, turned her head, feeling a cold gaze staring at her.

A mysterious purple eye, split vertically, was glaring at her with a displeased light.

Realizing her mistake belatedly, she smiled awkwardly, but Dominique only made an even more stern face, not even smiling back.

“So, I hope you two get along in the future.”

*I think it’s already too late.*

Lee Jun-young gave a bitter smile at Kim Jin-woo’s request.