Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 43

Dungeon Journal – Episode 44

# 44

Dungeon Journal

Episode 44

Under Elves, from the very beginning, were not beings who readily revealed themselves. Once they blended into the darkness, they became like ghosts, seemingly nonexistent even when standing right in front of you.

With Kim Jin-woo activating his camouflage ability, this was even more pronounced.

“Hoo. This is troublesome.”

He felt frustrated because he couldn’t move quickly while camouflaged, but the outskirts of the territory weren’t that far away anyway.

“We have arrived.”

Rickshasha, unable to properly sense Kim Jin-woo’s presence, announced their arrival while looking in the wrong direction.

It was a somewhat comical sight given the situation, but he stared intently into the darkness with a serious expression.

Across from the Naga riders, who held long spears and had their necks entwined around riding wyverns, was the army Rickshasha had mentioned.

The thirty-odd dwarves, whose heads barely reached the Naga riders’ waists, were armed with gleaming swords and wore armor that seemed out of place in the underground.

He understood why Rickshasha had used the term ‘army’.

If you wouldn’t call those dwarves, so flamboyantly armed and armored, an army, what else would you call them?

Staring at the patches of green skin visible through the gaps in their armor, Kim Jin-woo cautiously approached the dwarves.

“Ugh. It’s driving me crazy because I can’t communicate.”

A dwarf in particularly ornate armor, easily noticeable among the others, complained in a raspy voice.

“Hey, you guys, go tell them we have guests! What are you standing around for!”

“Sheek! Sheek!”

At the dwarf’s gruff command, the Naga riders raised their spears menacingly, vibrating the frills on their necks.

“Alright, alright. Those who want something have to wait. Look at their tempers.”

“I saw one of them rushing back a little while ago, so someone’s coming. Let’s wait a little longer.”

Seeing them act as if they were inviting themselves as guests, it didn’t seem like they planned to cross the territory’s border any further.

Hiding in the darkness, Kim Jin-woo observed them for a while longer. When Quantus’s unit, which had departed slightly later, arrived, he subtly joined them.

“Ha!”

At his appearance, the Nagas all made a hissing sound and beat their chests. The dwarves, looking pale, gripped their weapons tighter at the display of fierce momentum.

“Quantus!”

“My King!”

“Ask those who came uninvited why they are here!”

As soon as the order was given, Quantus approached the dwarves, exhaling heavily, and shouted.

“Who are you who have set foot on the land of the honorable King?”

While hesitating in the face of the Nagas’ imposing presence, the dwarves craned their short necks, trying to get a glimpse of Kim Jin-woo.

However, the Nagas disapproved of the dwarves’ behavior and intentionally formed a wall, obscuring their master from view.

“We are Mlak and Blak, envoys of King Malakusus of the Hammer and Anvil!”

At the mention of Malakusus’s envoys, Quantus glanced at Kim Jin-woo before continuing.

“Then why have you trespassed on the King’s land?”

“Trespassed? Don’t be absurd! We simply came to greet the Baron who first rose to nobility on the 9th floor, and we have no other intentions! As proof, here is our King’s letter!”

One of the dwarves retrieved a piece of paper of unknown material from his chest and thrust it forward. Rickshasha emerged silently from the darkness and snatched the paper.

The dwarf, startled by her ghost-like appearance, made a strange noise and quickly retreated back to his group.

“Grant this humble servant the honor of being your eyes and ears, my lord.”

In short, she was offering to read the document for him. When Kim Jin-woo nodded, Rickshasha read the document.

[The envoys of Malakusus, King of the Hammer and Anvil, have visited the Labyrinth.]

[Malakusus wishes to establish a friendly relationship with Baron Kim Jin-woo of the underground, who defeated the greedy and ferocious Wyvern King.]

‘What is this all of a sudden?’ Kim Jin-woo frowned, and the green dwarf’s raspy voice was heard again.

“We humbly request the honor of meeting your King!”

Quantus stared blankly at Kim Jin-woo, awaiting his response.

***

The meeting with the dwarves was brief. Mlak, who introduced himself, seemed somewhat surprised that Kim Jin-woo wasn’t a Naga, but he didn’t appear to care much.

Mlak didn’t seem to differentiate much between surface dwellers and dungeon natives; he treated Kim Jin-woo casually.

“Thanks to you, we can deliver good news to our King.”

It wasn’t a particularly meaningful conversation, but they seemed satisfied simply knowing that Kim Jin-woo had no intention of being hostile. Mlak and the envoys left the Labyrinth with cheerful expressions.

And from then on, envoys from various labyrinths visited the Naga’s Labyrinth one after another.

[The envoys of Gorinthos, King of the Swamp, have visited the Labyrinth.]

[Gorinthos seems to be trembling with fear that the new powerhouse of the underground, who even defeated the mighty Wyvern King Anaxstus, might turn his spear towards him. Gorinthos’s envoys want to hear a confirmation of non-aggression.]

[The envoys of Hecarim, King of the Wanderers, have visited the Labyrinth.]

[Hecarim is showing great interest in the new powerhouse’s heroic tale. Perhaps you can receive something in return for the story.]

[The envoys of Uther, King of Gluttony, have visited the Labyrinth.]

[Uther seems somewhat displeased with the birth of an underground noble. If you are not careful, information about the Labyrinth may be leaked.]

Envoys from different places visited the Labyrinth every few days, and it became a chore to send them back, each with their own purposes and intentions.

Later, they mostly delegated the task to Dominique and Quantus, but some envoys came from powerful labyrinths located relatively close by, so they couldn’t be treated carelessly.

Valishus, King of the Dead, was one of them.

Valishus’s envoys were shocking from the start. It was a bizarre beast with its whole body sewn together like rags, with a human head where a wolf’s head should have been.

Even in the Labyrinth, where all sorts of bizarre and hideous creatures were common, it was a rare and terrible sight that made Dominique shudder.

“Thus, our King eagerly awaits the day when we can meet each other.”

Moreover, it spoke with a child’s voice that didn’t match its hideous appearance. Kim Jin-woo could guess the twisted tastes of the King of the Dead.

“Okay, let’s do that.”

When he gave his consent with a weary expression, Valishus’s envoy shuffled away, its rattling body disappearing from the Labyrinth.

“Hoo, somehow I don’t want to associate with that side.”

‘Still, Valishus’s Labyrinth is the closest to our Labyrinth after the Wyvern King’s Labyrinth. It won’t hurt to know in advance.’

The long-range patrols, which had been significantly reinforced recently, scurried around the underground, quite far from the territory, to map out the nearby terrain.

And Kim Jin-woo selected the patrols who were best at concealing their presence and followed the envoys coming and going from the Labyrinth to pinpoint the exact location of each labyrinth.

The Labyrinth of the Dead was one they luckily discovered in the process. The Labyrinth of the Dead, which could be described as one giant cemetery, was located only two weeks away from Kim Jin-woo’s Labyrinth.

It wasn’t that strange that they hadn’t discovered it until now, as it appeared to be just a bare passage lined with many tombstones.

“Let’s send Rickshasha this time. We know the location, but we don’t know what they might do on the way back.”

‘Quantus and the Naga riders will monitor them up to the outskirts of the territory, and I’ll leave the rest to Rickshasha.’

“Okay, that should be enough.”

The external mercenaries, such as Rickshasha and Ortea, who he initially thought wouldn’t grow much stronger, had been showing slow but steady progress lately.

Thanks to that, Kim Jin-woo’s burden had been greatly reduced.

However, as the situation improved, the Naga’s Labyrinth was becoming more and more exposed to others, so he wasn’t completely free from worry.

‘Don’t worry too much. The long-range patrols are vulnerable in close combat, but they are skilled at finding enemies and hindering their advance. If they’re out there, we won’t be caught by surprise.’

“Well, that’s why I gave up reinforcing the Naga riders and increased the number of patrols.”

Kim Jin-woo did his best to remain vigilant so that he wouldn’t be ambushed again like in the battle with the Wyvern King.

But no matter how hard he tried to be vigilant, he couldn’t filter out all intruders.

Fortunately, Kim Jin-woo was the first to notice the signs. Looking around, he frowned at a small blob of slime stuck to the ceiling.

And at that moment, the Evil Eye was activated.

[The Parasite’s senses have detected a hidden enemy. Since it is not a combat situation, an incomplete Evil Eye is activated.]

[The Parasite’s special ability ‘Analysis’ has been activated.]

The Parasite, which had absorbed the heart of the Blood Mark, had grown even stronger. The Parasite, which previously only detected enemies, now analyzed something unknown and informed him.

[A mass of gluttony, an existence that cannot cause any harm on its own, but a creepy entity that shares its vision with the host. Uther, King of Gluttony, was spying on the Labyrinth.]

The moment the message ended, Kim Jin-woo was already flying through the air, tearing off the blob of slime.

“Kieeeek!”

The slime, helplessly caught in his grasp, thrashed and tried to escape, but he wouldn’t let go.

“Uther, King of Gluttony…”

Kim Jin-woo spoke directly to the insidious being who was surely watching him at that moment.

“Do you want war?”

At the chilling words, the blob of slime froze.

The analysis of the Labyrinth of Gluttony was already complete.

He hadn’t explored the inside of the Labyrinth, but even based on the revealed power alone, Uther’s Labyrinth was inferior to the Wyvern King’s. There was nothing to fear.

“If you want it, I’ll give it to you.”

If the opponent harbored impure intentions, it would be better to eliminate them in advance.

He didn’t intend to start a war, but the underground was a place where, once you were underestimated, they would bite you to the bone.

At his words, the blob of slime trembled.

Perhaps Uther, King of Gluttony, who was watching from beyond the consciousness of this hideous mass, was also trembling.

Kim Jin-woo’s eyes were that fierce.

After that, Kim Jin-woo went around the Labyrinth and removed all the blobs of slime stuck to the ceiling.

It would have been helpful if Rickshasha had been there, but she was tracking the envoys of Valishus, King of the Dead.

“They stuck a lot of them.”

Kim Jin-woo, who had crushed the blobs of slime that couldn’t be easily removed with a sword using the Naga mage’s cold air, sighed.

‘Master, are you really going to start a war?’

“If they come at us with such ulterior motives first, I don’t know when or how they’ll stab me in the back, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to set an example in advance.”

‘That’s right. Unlike before, with our current power, we can show the Labyrinth of Gluttony what’s what without you, Master.’

Dominique, who he thought would express concern, rather encouraged him.

“You’re not stopping me?”

‘Yes? Why? The weak who covet the strong’s possessions must naturally pay the price to the strong. The King of Gluttony is weak, and you are strong, Master. Is there any reason to be mindful now?’

Looking at her asking back with a face that truly didn’t understand, Kim Jin-woo smiled wryly.

The underground was a world ruled by power, and Dominique was a member of it. He realized anew what position he was in.

“Even if it’s not a full-scale war, we need to shake them up once. Okay, as soon as Quantus returns, gather the troops and march!”

‘Yes, Master.’

[The Naga’s Labyrinth, ruled by the honorable Baron of the underground, has declared war on Uther, King of Gluttony.]

[All beings on the 9th floor are focusing their attention.]

Kim Jin-woo, looking at the message window, which he couldn’t understand the principle of, hurried the war preparations, saying that it was already a foregone conclusion.

The number of warriors and fighters who had risen to elite rank and were armed with new weapons made in the smithy was fifty, and the priests, shamans, and mages who would support them from behind totaled fifteen. The Nagas, excited by the overwhelming power that was incomparable to the time of the war with the Wyvern King, sharpened their weapons and waited for the day of the march.

But as it turned out, the Nagas did not get the chance to march. The messenger sent by Uther, King of Gluttony, arrived before they could set out.

The messenger of Uther, who was found on the outskirts of the territory and held by the Naga riders, was in such a state that his slimy body was clumped together and dripping, as if he had run in a great hurry.

“Oh honorable noble of the underground and King of the Nagas!”

The messenger, entangled on the tip of the Naga rider’s spear and thrown to the ground, shouted, wriggling and neglecting his own appearance.