Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 2

Dungeon Expedition Log

Episode 3

Despite it being June, the peak of summer heat, the ten men and women were bundled in thick clothes as if preparing for a winter hike.

Unlike the surface, the air hundreds of meters underground was frigid, like winter itself.

Under the glow of the yellow light bulbs, the filming crew moved forward. Jang Yoon-ju occasionally made lively comments to brighten the atmosphere, and the cameraman diligently captured the surroundings, moving the lens here and there.

Thud, thud.

Watching Jang Yoon-ju fuss over the unremarkable walls of the underground passage, Kim Jin-woo couldn’t help but speak up.

“You shouldn’t touch things like that. Down here, you have to be careful, even with things you think you know.”

“But for the filming…….”

He sighed at her dissatisfied expression.

This woman is going to cause trouble.

With the feeling that something annoying would definitely happen if he left her unattended, he consciously hardened his expression and said.

“I told you before, you agreed to follow my instructions entirely when it comes to the group’s safety.”

He frowned deeply as he watched her look away instead of answering. She seemed to trust the armed guards, constantly glancing at the men in black. He couldn’t help but smile wryly.

The four guards were just ordinary people armed with hunting rifles and electric shock batons – equipment better suited for hunting.

What could they do here with those hunting rifles that could barely take down wild boars?

I have a bad feeling about this.

His face hardened even more as he sensed that even the armed guards were looking at him with disdain.

The times have changed. The lower levels of the labyrinth, which he used to frequent, were no longer dark or uneven.

Yellow light bulbs were embedded in the ceiling every 20 meters, and the floor was as flat as if cement had been poured.

The humans who couldn’t function in the dark were no longer the only ones here.

Moreover, many men who had finished their military service after the war were using their experience to explore the underground. The underground world was no longer just a playground for Dungeon Babies [individuals adapted to and thriving in dungeon environments].

‘Be careful, and if it seems dangerous, get out of there without looking back. Don’t worry about the penalty fees,’

He remembered his mother’s face as she grabbed him before he left this morning, even shedding tears as she repeatedly urged him.

But he didn’t want to be a burden to his family, let alone rely on them. So, he decided to move up the schedule, which was already off to a rocky start.

The group, including Jang Yoon-ju, was completely exhausted.

Thanks to Kim Jin-woo’s moderate pace, their bodies weren’t too tired, but their mental fatigue was considerable.

Walking through the endless passages had taken its toll.

The campsite, which was a clearing about 10 meters in all directions, provided some relief.

“Let’s rest here for six hours and then start again. The night watch…….”

“We’ll take turns for an hour and a half each.”

Watching Kim Jin-woo and the armed guards take their places at the entrance of the clearing, she asked the cameraman next to her.

“Did you get some shots?”

“There’s nothing to shoot. I don’t think there will be anything until we go inside.”

“I guess so. My eyes are dry from looking at the light bulbs all the time.”

After exchanging some trivial conversation, she pointed to the men gathered at the entrance and whispered.

“Do as I said. Honestly, the labyrinth isn’t a big deal. Everyone’s been exposing it so much that there’s nothing new.”

“But are you sure it’s okay? He seems to have quite the temper. I’m worried this might cause problems later.”

The cameraman’s reply was equally secretive, as if they were plotting something.

“Dungeon Babies having bad tempers is nothing new. We’re only going to the lower levels anyway, so it’s not really a lie. If you’re worried, just film while watching his reactions.”

At her words, the cameraman subtly touched the camera he had placed on his bag. The lens of the camera with the red light on was pointed in the direction of Kim Jin-woo.

“We’ve never shown a Dungeon Baby whose level hasn’t been revealed on TV before.”

Jang Yoon-ju looked at Kim Jin-woo with shining eyes.

***

The underground world is harsh. Although it was just the edge of the first floor, the world hundreds of meters underground was strangely cold, perhaps because of the labyrinth’s influence.

While the outside world was experiencing the sweltering heat of summer, the underground was so cold that hands and feet were numb, and the body was shivering.

It was hard to fall asleep in such a place.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

Eventually giving up on sleeping, she peeked her head out of the sleeping bag and looked at Kim Jin-woo, who was leaning against the wall at the entrance.

Because he was sitting with his back to the yellow light bulb, his face was shadowed, and his expression was unreadable, but he seemed extremely familiar with this place.

It was no wonder. He was a Dungeon Baby who was born and raised in the labyrinth.

He had spent more time in the underground than on the surface, so it was only natural that he was used to this environment.

Kim Jin-woo was a unique man. While most Dungeon Babies were strangely obsessed with the labyrinth, he hadn’t entered it for five years.

It was said that he wouldn’t have accepted this request if his adoptive parents, who had been assigned to him by the government due to his family’s financial difficulties, hadn’t been struggling. He was truly a unique case.

Perhaps her gaze was too blatant, as she was filled with curiosity. Kim Jin-woo, who had been looking down, raised his head.

“It’s best to get some sleep now. Tomorrow will be even harder.”

The voice echoing in the quiet campsite contained a strange resonance. She scrunched her nose at the tickling sensation in her heart and put her head back into the sleeping bag.

Kim Jin-woo smiled wryly as he watched her.

In fact, she didn’t know, but other members of the filming crew had been taking turns getting up and staring at him like that.

It seemed that sleeping in the unfamiliar underground was uncomfortable in many ways.

Even though they were only at the entrance, the unique energy of the labyrinth was already gnawing at their nerves.

If he, who was born in the labyrinth, felt this way, it would be strange if ordinary people who were visiting the underground for the first time could easily fall asleep.

“By the way, that hunting rifle, it seems to be modified, is that right?”

Kim Jin-woo, who had taken his eyes off Jang Yoon-ju, asked the armed guard who was on night watch across from him. Instead of answering, he nodded and raised the barrel of the hunting rifle.

He must have been worried about entering the labyrinth with a domestic hunting rifle with reduced power due to gun control. This was his way of saying he had prepared in his own way.

But this made one thing clear. None of these people had any experience in the labyrinth.

If they did, they would know that those hunting rifles, even if modified, wouldn’t work against the Under Beasts [monsters inhabiting the dungeon].

“Don’t even think about shooting that gun if you encounter an Under Beast.”

Perhaps he thought he was belittling the weapon he had painstakingly prepared. The man frowned and turned his head.

Seeing that, he had a growing sense of foreboding, but he knew that saying anything would only lead to an argument, so he eventually kept his mouth shut.

From the beginning, no one in this group liked him anyway.

“If a gunshot goes off, it will instantly attract all the beasts nearby, so never shoot it.”

He urged him once more, just in case, but the guard didn’t seem to be listening to him.

***

Bang!

The sharp gunshot rang out, and the people who were already terrified by the hideous monster that had appeared in front of them sat down on the floor or stepped back when they heard the gunshot.

“Stop! I said stop!”

Kim Jin-woo frowned and shouted, but no one in the group, who were deafened by the sudden gunshot, was listening to him.

Bang! Bang!

The four armed guards stepped forward and fired their hunting rifles. The acrid smell of gunpowder and the stench of blood quickly spread everywhere.

Feeling a burning sensation in his temples, he grabbed the man in front of him by the scruff of the neck and threw him away.

With a single gesture, the man, who was bigger than him, stumbled and fell to the floor.

“I said don’t shoot!”

But the men lowered their guns only after the situation was completely over.

“You son of a bitch!”

The guard who had been thrown to the ground jumped up and cursed.

The other guards made a fuss trying to stop him, who was excited by the sight of blood, but Kim Jin-woo didn’t even glance at him.

It was about the size of a small car, and the horns hanging behind its ears were as thick as an adult’s arm. The teeth under its protruding snout were as sharp and savage as a saw blade. The monster, which looked like a mix of a cow and a wolf, was already lying on the floor, panting.

Red blood and flesh were scattered around the monster.

“Damn it.”

Why is it that bad premonitions always come true so well? He wasn’t even angry.

“Well, we know that Kim Jin-woo is a Dungeon Baby, but we have to earn our money. We can’t just stand by and watch a monster like that lurking in front of us.”

Kim Jin-woo turned his head at the words of the man who could be said to be the leader of the four armed guards.

*We* can handle this lower level on our own. Don’t act up.

His face hardened coldly at the despicable sense of victory that rose above the expressionless mask. It seemed he was holding a grudge against him for dismissing the power of the hunting rifle.

Looking behind him, the other guards were also looking at him with challenging faces.

“Wow, awesome! Did you get this?”

“Of course, I got it all!”

Apart from the serious atmosphere here, the filming crew was making a fuss.

“You’re really amazing!”

Jang Yoon-ju said, raising her thumb, and the armed guard raised his chin.

He felt his body getting cold. Even though he was just an employee, he was responsible for the safety of the group within the labyrinth, so he suppressed his anger as he looked at the group who wouldn’t listen to him.

Now was not the time to lecture them.

Woo-oong!

The sound of something rushing in a group was heard from afar.