Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 38

Dungeon Journal-38

# 38

Dungeon Journal

Chapter 39

“Have you ever heard of beastmen?”

Inu, the Ronin warrior I recently hired, is a beastman. Although he got scared and ran away when the battle turned unfavorable, he did his part in the early stages of the battle.

And even if it’s not Inu, the Myoin woman who is holding out in the labyrinth’s tavern is also a beastman.

“They are neither human nor beast, and they are quite popular in the underworld these days. They are traded at prices as high as top-tier Down Jams [high-value items or resources found in dungeons].”

“What do you mean? Beastmen aren’t objects, are they?”

At these incomprehensible words, Mr. Baek replied with a sly expression.

“That’s right. They aren’t objects. After all, they are living creatures. But, aren’t they not human either? They may look similar to humans, but they are just beasts from the underground.”

“Could it be….”

“That’s right. They are openly traded on the black market. The women are said to be incredibly good at… certain things. It seems difficult to tame them, but there are plenty of strange people in the world who like taming such creatures.”

“Those crazy bastards.”

“Indeed. They are crazy. But when you think about it, all our customers are like that. If you happen to meet a beastman on your way, try to catch one. I’ll take responsibility for connecting you with a buyer.”

His expression couldn’t help but turn grim. Kim Jin-woo was a dungeon baby [someone raised in a dungeon] who worked like a slave in the Underworld Duke’s labyrinth.

To think that humans were doing the same thing made him feel disgusted.

“Are other dungeon babies doing that too?”

He assumed that other dungeon babies would feel the same way as him, so he asked in disbelief, and Mr. Baek replied.

“Don’t even mention it. There are even explorers who specialize in finding beastmen. I heard that Song Jong-cheol, the guy you asked about before, is quite enthusiastic about capturing beastmen. It’s more profitable than dealing with difficult creatures, so he smelled the money. He’s quite the businessman.”

Mr. Baek, who was grinning slyly, joked that a beastman woman could change your fate, but he couldn’t agree with that.

He felt even more disgusted with Song Jong-cheol, whom he already had a negative impression of since their meeting in the underground.

“I’ll go into the underground soon. Whether I get results is another matter.”

“Alright, I’m counting on you. And think carefully about the beastman story I told you earlier.”

Kim Jin-woo, feeling a surge of nausea at Mr. Baek’s persistent, slimy words, left the appraisal office without even saying goodbye.

Kim Jin-woo left the appraisal office and took a deep breath. It was the first time since he had come to the surface that the air felt suffocating.

Like the heavy, damp air of the underground, he took several breaths in and out.

***

After meeting Mr. Baek, Kim Jin-woo felt strangely uncomfortable staying on the surface, so he visited Naga’s labyrinth earlier than planned.

‘Master, you’re here?’

Dominique greeted him as always and reported on the progress of the labyrinth’s restoration.

‘The damaged traps have been reinstalled or discarded, and a significant portion of the collapsed passages have been restored. The number of workers has doubled, so the progress has been quite fast. However, we couldn’t do anything about the open space just inside the gate that the giant dragon destroyed. We’ll have to find a use for it.’

Listening to her report, Kim Jin-woo smiled bitterly.

It was too much to ask. It wouldn’t be easy to restore the area after a giant dragon rampaged through it, filling the passage.

As she said, it was more reasonable to find a new use for it than to narrow the passage again.

‘For now, the labyrinth’s size has increased thanks to the upgrade in its grade. The newly created open space used to be right inside the gate, but now it’s quite far inside, so I don’t think there will be any major problems.’

Come to think of it, Naga’s labyrinth had undergone many changes after reaching grade 5. First of all, the owner’s room where Kim Jin-woo was now was more luxurious than ever before, and the overall size of the labyrinth felt larger.

And the biggest change was the addition of new Nagas to the defense force, which had been centered around warriors.

□ Naga Magician (Intermediate) (40)

*These individuals explore the mysteries of the underground. Wise Naga magicians overwhelm enemies with powerful magic in battle. Intermediate Naga magicians can use more powerful spells than lower-level Naga magicians.

□ Naga Priest (Intermediate) (37)

*These are priests who serve the first serpent. As sages and doctors of the underground, Naga priests heal wounded Nagas. Intermediate Naga priests can heal fatal wounds that lower-level Naga priests cannot.

□ Naga Fighter (25)

*While Naga warriors focus on guarding and defending, Naga fighters are responsible for crushing and attacking enemy lines. Their innate divine power and fighting spirit are unique strengths that no other Naga can match.

□ Naga Long-Range Scout (20)

*Naga long-range scouts are skilled guides and hunters. They can find the fastest paths even in the underground and move quickly. Somewhat vulnerable in close combat, they prefer to lure enemies into elaborate traps to fight.

□ Naga Shaman (Lower) (35)

*These are shamans who wield the darkness of the deep underground. Shamans specialize in amplifying the power of allies and reducing the power of enemies rather than going to the front lines of battle.

Previously, he could only summon lower-level magicians and priests, but now he could summon intermediate-level ones from the start.

In addition, the newly summoned Naga fighters, long-range scouts, and shamans greatly contributed to improving the quality of the lacking forces.

‘With this much power, we wouldn’t be pushed back as much as before even if we had to fight the Dragon King again.’

Kim Jin-woo nodded at Dominique’s words. That’s how enormous the difference in power was between a grade 4 labyrinth and a grade 5 labyrinth.

“Now I can leave the labyrinth with peace of mind.”

Seeing him nod with a satisfied expression, Dominique looked dejected. It seemed she was sad that her master was leaving again.

‘Will you be gone long?’

“I plan to be away for about a month, but I’ll stop by from time to time, so don’t make such a face.”

The trust that had been strengthened through the war made Dominique smile brightly again.

“More importantly, what happened to the Blood Serpent’s Heart? I want to check it before I leave.”

At his words, Dominique continued, saying that she was just about to report on that.

‘It took longer than expected to restore the laboratory and smithy that were damaged in the last battle. It was difficult to reallocate personnel and get them functioning normally. However, thanks to the skills of the newly added magicians, there was considerable progress. However, the smithy needs a little more time.’

Listening to Dominique’s report, he checked the progress of the Blood Serpent’s Heart research and refinement in the status window and nodded. As she said, the Blood Serpent’s Heart entrusted to the smithy was only about 70% complete.

“Let’s go to the laboratory. It should be nearing completion.”

Kim Jin-woo got up from his seat after seeing the research completion message in the status window.

***

The Blood Serpent’s Heart, placed on the politely gathered palms of the Naga magician, was emitting the same eerie red light as before.

[Blood Serpent’s Heart (Top-Tier Down Jam): This top-tier Down Jam, accumulated by hunting countless creatures, contains the power of the Blood Serpent. It has been researched by skilled Naga magicians and can now be used to harness the Blood Serpent’s power.]

Without a second thought, Kim Jin-woo immediately checked the power of the Blood Serpent’s Heart.

[The Blood Serpent, a predator of the underground and the most secretive hunter, was a natural assassin whose presence was difficult to detect when it deliberately concealed itself. The Blood Serpent’s Heart contains the secrecy that the Blood Serpent showed in its lifetime.]

[You can use the Blood Serpent’s special ability, Camouflage.]

As expected, the special power of the Blood Serpent’s Heart was related to stealth.

‘If you’re going on a journey, it would be good to take the Blood Serpent’s Heart now. Master is strong, but there are many enemies in the underground who are as strong as Master.’

Kim Jin-woo nodded at Dominique’s advice. However, he didn’t know how to acquire the special ability of the Blood Serpent’s Heart.

Creatures could gain power by swallowing the Down Jam whole, but that was impossible for him, who was only human.

However, the solution was, as always, in an unexpected place. The parasite sleeping in his right hand woke up and devoured the Blood Serpent’s Heart.

[The parasite has consumed the Blood Serpent’s Heart (Top-Tier Down Jam). You have acquired the Blood Serpent’s special ability, ‘Camouflage’.]

[The parasite has devoured all the energy contained in the Blood Serpent’s Heart. As a result, the top-tier Down Jam has become an ordinary stone.]

[The parasite is entering metamorphosis for growth. Until the parasite’s growth is complete, you cannot use the parasite’s special abilities, ‘Search’ and ‘Mana Detection’.]

What was this all about? Kim Jin-woo looked blankly at the Blood Serpent’s Heart, which had completely lost its light.

‘Ah…….’

Dominique also gasped in surprise. However, when Kim Jin-woo explained the situation, she smiled brightly and congratulated him.

‘Master, each parasite needs different things to grow. It seems that your parasite grows by eating high-quality Down Jams.’

“I feel empty. It was something I got with difficulty.”

At Kim Jin-woo’s honest words after seeing the Blood Serpent’s Heart, which had lost its light and turned dry, Dominique shook her head vigorously.

‘No. You’re actually lucky. Some parasites grow by sucking the blood of creatures or using the life force of the host. This is a good thing.’

“You recommended something like that to me.”

‘Master was much weaker than you are now. Surviving was the priority at that time. If you hadn’t gotten the parasite, Master and our labyrinth would already be…….’

Every word she said was true. In fact, it would have been difficult to gather the dungeon energy to upgrade the labyrinth without the Down Jams collected thanks to the parasite’s search ability.

And the labyrinth, which remained at grade 4, would not have been able to withstand the Dragon King’s attack.

“Ugh. Still, it’s a waste.”

Dominique smiled as Kim Jin-woo, who had been under pressure from the beings threatening the labyrinth, showed a human side for the first time in a while. She comforted him, curving her clear purple eyes beautifully.

‘The parasite is worth more than the Blood Serpent’s Heart. Please think of it as an investment for the future. And there’s still one more Blood Serpent’s Heart left, right?’

Only after listening to Dominique’s repeated consolations was Kim Jin-woo able to relax his face.

***

Thanks to the parasite’s sudden change, Kim Jin-woo’s underground exploration schedule was naturally delayed.

He delayed the schedule because he regretted the parasite’s search ability, as abandoned labyrinths were scattered everywhere he went.

Thanks to that, Kim Jin-woo was able to see the new core being installed in the Dragon King’s labyrinth, where magicians and blacksmiths were causing a commotion.

‘No one in the underground has ever installed two cores. Nobles have preferred to strengthen their own cores or give new cores to their loyal subordinates to increase their power.’

Dominique had a complicated expression, half expecting and half fearing the changes that would occur in the future. Seeing her, Kim Jin-woo said.

“Isn’t it obvious that two is better than one?”

She looked dumbfounded at the simple answer, but soon nodded in agreement.

‘Well, even if something goes wrong, the existing core will just absorb the new core. In the worst case, the core from the Dragon King’s labyrinth might absorb the previous core, but either way, it wouldn’t be bad.’

Kim Jin-woo nodded at her words, having thought of several possibilities in a short time.

The idea of installing two cores in one labyrinth may have been an idea that he could come up with because he was human. On the surface, this method was often used to upgrade hardware.

‘Master, the preparations are complete.’

While he was lost in thought, the workers who had been going up and down the altar had already retreated to a distance.

‘Now it’s Master’s turn.’

At her words, Kim Jin-woo stepped onto the altar. The new labyrinth core was erected right next to the existing core, and he raised his hand with an expectant look.

[The labyrinth core, abandoned after the death of the Dragon King, is trying to imprint a new master. Do you agree to the imprinting process?]

“I agree.”

[The imprinting is complete. The core, which was once like the heart of the Dragon King Anaxetus, has met a new master.]

The moment the message window appeared, a flash of light burst out from the altar.

[Would you like to activate the new core? The existence of two cores in one labyrinth is unprecedented. No one knows what changes will occur. Do you still agree to activate the new core?]

“I agree.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire labyrinth began to vibrate.