Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 206

Dungeon Journal-207

# 207

Dungeon Journal

Kim Jin-woo understood the black marketeer’s words immediately. The black marketeer emphasized his point.

“The people in the Depths won’t have to strain their brains trying to figure out the Lord’s movements anymore.”

As he spoke, the black marketeer subtly raised his head to meet Kim Jin-woo’s eyes.

“If you’re still worried, I’ll swear on the mysteries of the Underworld. The replica of the Great Labyrinth doesn’t match the real one. There will absolutely be nothing to hinder the Lord’s progress.”

He couldn’t possibly be lying after swearing on the mysteries of the Underworld.

“And to be honest, it’s a little unfair to me since the Lord isn’t completely unrelated to that replica.”

Kim Jin-woo glared at him, warning him not to say ridiculous things. The black marketeer stammered.

“Do you perhaps remember the Big-Headed Dwarves?”

When the Naga mages caused the accident, three new races were born in the Underworld, and one of them was the race he deemed useless and sold to the black marketeer of the Black Merchant.

“Could it be?”

“That’s right. They are the ones who restored the Great Labyrinth.”

The guess was correct.

“Didn’t I tell you back then? There’s no labyrinth in the Underworld that isn’t precious, and no one is useless.”

Was he trying to provoke him? The black marketeer continued to talk.

“The Big-Headed Dwarves are ‘labyrinth architects’ who haven’t appeared in the Underworld for a long time.”

He felt a pang of regret. But back then, he had no way of knowing the value of the Big-Headed Dwarves, so he couldn’t dwell on it now.

As if reading his mind, the black marketeer offered a consolation.

“I guarantee that if they had been under the Lord’s care, they would have been swept away and disappeared when the labyrinths on the 9th floor were destroyed. And the Lord at the time would never have been able to fully develop their abilities.”

The black marketeer suddenly looked disgusted, as if thinking about something unpleasant, and clenched his teeth.

“You can’t imagine how much Down Gem [a type of currency or resource in the Underworld] they consume. Not even ordinary dukes could handle it.”

“Ah…”

Why did the faces of the Naga mages flash before his eyes at this moment? Kim Jin-woo couldn’t help but agree, seeing the black marketeer’s exhausted face looking like it was no one else’s problem.

***

The black marketeer left. There were many more stories he wanted to hear, but he wasn’t in a hurry since there would be another chance to talk after the auction was over.

“720,000 Gems! The replica of the Great Labyrinth has been sold for 720,000 Gems!”

In the meantime, the restored core of the Great Labyrinth was sold for a whopping 720,000 Gems.

“Those who didn’t get the item this time don’t have to be too disappointed. We, the Black Merchant, promise to visit you soon and soothe your disappointment.”

The host, seemingly trying to maintain a calm face, promised a future meeting, as the participants in the bidding were such big shots. Perhaps because of that, no further disturbances occurred.

“The schedule has been delayed more than expected. From now on, we will proceed with the auction a little faster!”

As if stunned by the unprecedented winning bid, the subsequent auctions proceeded in a surprisingly calm atmosphere.

Only the ‘Baron’s’ seal, which was the last item to be put up for auction, aroused some interest.

Thus, the Black Merchant’s special auction came to an end.

“I will visit the Lord as soon as this place is cleared up.”

The black marketeer, who had arranged to meet separately, said that this was not a good place to talk and promised to meet at Kim Jin-woo’s Great Labyrinth.

“I hope it’s not too late.”

At his words, the black marketeer repeatedly emphasized that he would definitely visit today and hurried away.

Left alone, Kim Jin-woo tore up the parchment containing the portal spell that he had been keeping in his pocket.

“Then, shall we go?”

He checked the summoning stone he had carefully kept in his pocket and stepped through the door of space that opened with a crack.

***

“Master!”

As always, Dominique appeared as soon as he crossed the portal.

“I’m so glad you’re safe!”

She rushed into his arms, rejoicing in her master’s safety, but soon looked worried at his tired face.

“Did something happen?”

Kim Jin-woo started talking without showing any signs of annoyance at her question.

He told her everything he had seen and heard, from his meeting with Catherine, the Lord of Lament, to the black marketeer’s scheme, the restored Great Labyrinth, and the incomplete awakening.

“Don’t blame yourself too much. You’ve done better than anyone else so far.”

Perhaps she sensed the self-reproach and regret in his words. Dominique comforted him, saying that the lack of information was inevitable due to the nature of the new labyrinth.

“Their insight is merely due to staying in one place for a long time and becoming familiar with their territory. On the other hand, you have never stayed in that place, so their knowledge gained from stagnation cannot be compared to your wisdom gained from progress.”

“I didn’t need comforting.”

Kim Jin-woo, who had already finished organizing his thoughts, couldn’t help but look awkward at her words. Seeing his face, Dominique quickly apologized for being presumptuous.

“No, thanks to you, the remaining resentment has disappeared a little. Thank you.”

He smiled at her, appreciating her unwavering loyalty and heart, and Dominique soon gave him a foolish smile in response to the smile filled with trust and affection.

“Hmm.”

It was nice to see Dominique’s selfless smile, but there was work to be done.

“Refrain from external activities for the time being and focus on gathering information.”

Kim Jin-woo ordered her to find a way to open his blocked eyes and ears.

“I need to know how this situation is unfolding.”

After giving various instructions, he finally recalled the summoning stone and rummaged through his pocket.

[Unidentified Ancient Summoning Stone.]

[This ancient summoning stone, obtained through a special auction hosted by the Black Merchant, has never been used before. No one knows what is inside, so use it with caution.]

[Would you like to use the summoning stone now?]

Kim Jin-woo, who had Dominique step back, nodded without thinking twice.

“I’ll use it now.”

[No one knows whether what is in the summoning stone is auspicious luck or an unprecedented disaster. Would you still like to use the summoning stone?]

The message flashing red was more ominous than ever, but Kim Jin-woo trusted his own strength.

He had more than enough power to not be intimidated by a single summoning stone, let alone the monsters of the Depths.

But he didn’t become arrogant.

His hands were naturally lowered, and his whole body was tense, ready to draw his sword at any time.

‘That’s not just any summoning stone.’

Catherine’s words echoed in his ears once again.

“Hoo.”

He exhaled a long breath and answered, looking at the message that had risen as a warning.

“Summon.”

As soon as the short word was finished, the surroundings were enveloped in light, and explosive cold air burst out from the summoning stone.

“Master!”

Dominique screamed, her face turning pale at the ominous energy rising from the light.

“It’s okay! Stand back!”

He shouted loudly, but his voice was soon swallowed by the flash and roar.

***

“Shouldn’t we find a way to do something!”

Quantus was more than brave in battle, he was even violent, but he had never expressed his anger so emotionally.

However, none of the hero-class summons of the Great Labyrinth, who had gathered in one place for the first time in a while, pointed out Quantus’s attitude.

That was because they knew that their feelings were not much different.

“Even as we watch like this, the King might be suffering some hardship!”

Quantus shouted once again.

But shouting like that didn’t change anything.

The light and cold that had swallowed the King had now hardened like a giant crystal, making it impossible to see inside, and the Great Labyrinth, which had already been cold due to the frost attribute, was now completely frozen.

“This damn ice!”

He had tried to save the King by force several times, but each time he suffered the pain of having his whole body dislocated by the tremendous rebound, so he was literally helpless.

“We can’t know what’s happening inside. If we act rashly in that situation, we’ll only put the Master in danger. All we can do now is trust and wait for the Master.”

Dominique bit her lip with a resentful face.

“Keueung.”

As the King’s representative and advisor, she was the most trusted Naga, except for Kim Jin-woo.

When she ordered them not to act rashly, Quantus and the Naga heroes had no choice but to listen.

“Especially at times like this, we need to pay attention to the boundaries of the labyrinth and crack down on the inside. So, Quantus, please check the defenses of the Naga warriors again.”

At those words, Quantus looked anxiously at the light and then left the owner’s room. Instead of Quantus, a Naga warrior rushed in to report.

“The black marketeer of the Black Merchant has come?”

The Naga warrior, flicking his tongue and cackling, handed over something. Dominique had already heard that the black marketeer would visit, but her expression was not good.

The black marketeer’s visit in this situation was burdensome.

But the black marketeer had foreseen all of this and left a message for the Naga warrior.

“Ah!”

Dominique exclaimed without realizing it after hearing the message.

“Explain properly what he’s saying.”

Heimdal, who had been left out because it was just the sound of wind to him, interrupted and urged her. Balzac and the others quickly joined him and surrounded Dominique.

“He said that the Master is being tested now…”

“Tested? Who dares to test the King!”

Heimdal’s angry shout echoed all around. Dominique, whose face had become somewhat pale at the fierce momentum, paused for a moment and answered as if biting her lip.

“The black marketeer didn’t tell me that either. He only said that it was an ancient weapon that was originally destined for the Master.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the light swelled as if it would burst and then subsided.

And finally, Kim Jin-woo, who had been trapped in the ice wall all along, revealed his appearance.

And in his hand, after breaking through the ice wall, he was holding a huge spear that he had never seen before.