Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 40

Dungeon Journal – Episode 41

#16. Tiger Night

Everywhere was covered in red blood. The eerie color, vividly visible even in the darkness, stretched along the narrow passage.

Small beasts, burying their faces in the flesh within the sea of blood, bared their teeth and howled fiercely at Kim Jin-woo. But, startled by something, they soon scurried into the darkness.

“What the hell is this….”

He squatted down on the floor, now a squelching mess, and groaned as he looked at the flesh the small subterranean beasts had been gnawing on.

A wrist completely torn from an arm, a shin mangled beyond recognition, and fragments of flesh were simply horrifying.

It was a grotesque sight, unrecognizable in its original form, but Kim Jin-woo quickly surmised its identity.

Human, and definitely an Explorer.

The greaves and what looked like tough pieces of cloth, matted with blood, were the same as those used by Lee Jun-young and his companions.

Looking at the fragments of the shattered shield, he confirmed the victim’s identity once more.

Amidst the blood-soaked mire, he carefully picked his way, following the few clear traces.

Squish, squish.

The Explorer team numbered at least several dozen. Just counting the scattered greaves and broken weapons, one could easily guess that much.

Kim Jin-woo quickly scanned the surroundings, mentally piecing together the battle that had taken place.

Forty Explorers, ten to fifteen Dungeon Babies—strong and experienced enough to venture onto the 7th floor—entered and were attacked.

“Here…….”

The monster likely rushed in around here first. He could tell by the direction of the crossbow bolts stuck in the wall.

And here, the initial collision must have occurred. The fragments of the shield, broken and crushed into the floor, vividly depicted the impact. As he followed the traces, his face grew grim.

The Explorers’ response was textbook.

He didn’t know much about other teams’ tactics, but he had observed Lee Jun-young and his group fight.

And to him, the battle’s remnants clearly showed how valiantly the sacrificed Explorers had fought.

But those Explorers were annihilated.

By what, exactly?

With an exploration team of this size, even if a pair of Blood Marks [powerful monsters known for their ferocity] that Kim Jin-woo and the Nagas encountered on the 9th floor had attacked, they should have been able to repel them. But there were no traces of the predator that hunted them.

There were no claw marks etched on the wall, which would usually be left after a battle, nor any footprints pressed into the floor.

At this rate, one could almost believe the Explorers had fought each other.

Survivors?

After briefly examining the area for signs of survivors, Kim Jin-woo shook his head.

With such a horrific scene, it was best not to expect any. Even if some had lived, they wouldn’t have escaped the notice of another predator drawn by the scent of blood.

If the large, strong predators hadn’t been sated and disappeared, the small beasts clinging to the scraps of meat wouldn’t have dared approach.

“Damn it, the smell will stick.”

Kim Jin-woo frowned, burying his nose in his arm and sniffing. There was no point in lingering in such a terrible place.

Deciding there was nothing more to salvage, he stepped past the pool of blood and onto the bare stone floor.

After quickly neutralizing the strong smell of blood that had permeated his body with a special solution, he swiftly left the scene.

***

“What the hell happened?”

Kim Jin-woo couldn’t help but wonder, even though there was no one to answer. Another scene of hell unfolded before his eyes.

This was the fourth time. The fourth time he had discovered the mangled corpses of Explorers.

It would have been easier to believe the survivors of the first team he’d seen had met the same fate. But he had already realized that these four tragedies had befallen different teams.

He had to make a decision.

It was time to decide whether to continue exploring or turn back. There was no need to deliberately court danger.

But he didn’t turn back.

He had the power to overcome these difficulties.

Kim Jin-woo took out an item.

“Camouflage.”

At the soft whisper, his body gradually melted into the darkness and disappeared completely.

***

“Stop here for now!”

At the lead man’s command, the Explorers dropped their equipment and busily set up motion detectors in all directions.

“Isn’t this place too exposed?”

Someone approached the man and asked, looking at the wide-open passage.

“You’re new to the 7th floor, aren’t you?”

The Explorer looked momentarily embarrassed. The man clicked his tongue.

“On the 7th floor, it’s safer to rest in a passage like this than in a concave open space. From here on, it’s real monster territory. If you block a passage and something charges, you could be wiped out.”

While predators up to the 5th floor mainly hunted in groups, below the 6th, solitary individuals or pairs dominated.

Around the 7th floor, this was even more pronounced. The number of creatures decreased noticeably, but each one was incredibly powerful.

“No matter how much we fly and crawl, we’re just prey down here. Keep that in mind.”

“Still, we have several level 8 Dungeon Babies [monsters raised by explorers for combat], and we’re not even on the 8th floor…”

The Explorer, still unconvinced, grumbled, and the man frowned.

“You son of a bitch, you didn’t come up here alone, did you? You hitched a ride with some soldiers, didn’t you?”

“What does it matter?”

“Ha, I thought even someone who hung around the entrance would know the basics, but you’re a complete dud. Hey, Kim Chan-soo! Did you bring this guy?”

At the man’s words, one of the Explorers directing the camp preparations shouted from afar.

“What are you talking about! The Association assigned him!”

“What? That means he’s the kid Jong-cheol hyung [older brother/respected colleague] sent. I swear, that hyung is something else.”

The man scratched his cheek awkwardly and then spoke again, his face stern.

“Listen, level 8 doesn’t mean a Dungeon Baby can handle the 8th floor just because it was born and raised there. People get confused because of the level, but being born on the 8th floor means they ran away from the 8th floor, not that they conquered it. Got it?”

“Ah…….”

“You son of a bitch, it’s been 10 years since the war ended, what have you been doing? Didn’t you watch Down Jam [popular monster hunting show]? Haven’t you been to the lower floors!”

The Explorer flinched, his eyes wide, as if the man was truly angry.

“You, remember this. If you screw up here, you’re dead. Even guys born in the deep layers screw up and die on the lower floors. Got it?”

The man gave several more warnings and then spoke softly to the deflated Explorer.

“Still, you should be glad we’re not here to catch creatures. We run as soon as we see one. Got it? Don’t be nosy or do stupid things. What’s our goal?”

“Beastmen.”

“That’s right, we only need to catch Beastmen. The schedule’s already messed up, and several teams have come in at once, so stay sharp. Your life is worth the investment, and you have to take something with you.”

Even though they were on the same team, the man, who had been angry earlier, was now friendly to the rookie Explorer.

The man was in the middle of explaining the dangers of the 7th floor when several Explorers returned from reconnaissance.

The Explorers, who had been busy preparing the camp, became bustling again.

“What? Are you sure?”

“Have I been doing this for a day or two? I’ve captured Beastmen at least twenty times, you son of a bitch.”

At the reconnaissance team’s confident words, the man gathered the group without hesitation.

“Take down the equipment! We’re moving again!”

“Ah, why again!”

“You son of a bitch, are you going to lie here when there’s easy money right in front of you? If the Beastmen run away, we’re out of luck. Do you know how much of a loss it would be to come back empty-handed with this many people?”

At the man’s fierce words, the Explorer quickly shut his mouth and urged the others on.

“Beastmen found 30 minutes away! Moving out!”

Even though they had just set up camp, the general Explorers were setting up and taking down the equipment. The Dungeon Babies just pouted and grumbled.

“Recheck the capture equipment, and once you’re done, we’ll move out right away, so no complaints.”

At the man’s command, the Explorers frantically checked their gear.

Having packed their equipment, they started moving again in less than 5 minutes.

“Hmm, something’s strange?”

“What is it this time?”

The Dungeon Baby, who had returned from reconnaissance, tilted his head, gauging the way.

“The Beastmen, I mean.”

“What about the Beastmen?”

“Usually, Beastmen have sensitive senses, so they run when they sense something approaching.”

The man burst into anger.

“So what about it?”

“Ah, calm down. Okay, I’ll say it quickly.”

The Dungeon Baby, pouting, continued.

“This one isn’t running away, it’s actually coming towards us?”

“That’s good. We don’t have to go far.”

“Yeah, it’s good, but it’s a little strange.”

The man, feeling uneasy about ignoring the words of a colleague who had grown thick-skinned in the underground, alerted the group.

“He says something’s strange! Just in case, prepare for battle and keep a close watch! If things go wrong, we’re just running away from the Beastmen! Got it?”

As expected of an experienced team, they were meticulous, not overlooking even the slightest hint.

“Tch. Why can’t I see the other teams? The path they take is obvious.”

The man belatedly felt uneasy and muttered to himself. But soon, at the reconnaissance team’s report that the Beastmen were close, he gave instructions to reorganize the formation.

“Prepare the nets! The vanguard should prepare to set up bunkers just in case, and those who can use swords should be on high alert! Move quickly!”

At the man’s command, the Explorers took out their equipment and began to move cautiously.

***

Kim Jin-woo, who was following the Explorers using the Camouflage ability he had obtained from the Blood Mark’s heart, frowned.

He had heard from Teacher Baek [mentor figure] not long ago that there was a team specializing in hunting Beastmen, but he hadn’t imagined it was so widespread.

It wasn’t something they had done once or twice, and he felt his mood sink.

Seeing them take out capture nets, as if they had prepared them specifically, he was wondering if he should intervene when the Beastmen appeared in the distance.

But the Beastmen’s appearance was unusual.

From the aura that overflowed with red eyes and the ominously sharpened claws, the Beastmen were completely different from the Myeoin or Nangin tribes that Kim Jin-woo knew.

And, as if he had known all along, Kim Jin-woo recognized the red skin.

She was the culprit behind the disaster. Even now, a strong smell of blood emanated from her.

“Yahoo! Jackpot! It’s a female! And a decent-looking one at that!”

The Explorers, who hadn’t yet grasped the situation, shouted with joy. As they prepared to fire the capture nets, the Beastmen woman rushed towards them.

“She’s crazy. We can catch her without worrying about missing her.”

“If you have time to talk, think about catching her without hurting her. If we sell her right away, we’ll get at least a hundred million won [Korean currency]. Huh? What’s so fast? Just shoot!”

Seeing the Beastmen woman rushing in, the man urgently gave instructions.

“Team 1! Fire!”