Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 58

Dungeon Journal – Episode 59

# 59

Dungeon Journal

[Hello?]

As I pressed the call button on my phone, a man’s voice came from the other end. Kim Jin-woo paused, wondering if he had heard the voice somewhere before, then replied briefly.

“Who is this?”

His sharp tone made the other party cautiously introduce himself.

[Hello. I’m Kim Joo-hyuk, the Deputy Director of the newly established Underground Development Bureau.]

“Underground Development Bureau? Is that different from the Management Office?”

He asked, unfamiliar with the name Underground Development Bureau.

[Yes. We’ve taken over the work that the Labyrinth Management Office used to do, but it’s a department that oversees the overall situation of the underground in a more macroscopic way than before. Recently, there have been some concerning incidents, and considering the potential of the underground, we’ve decided that it’s problematic to just focus on maintaining the status quo.]

He beat around the bush, but ultimately, it meant that they thought they could make money, so they were going to manage it more closely.

However, he couldn’t understand why they were doing this now, 10 years after the end of the Under War.

*Why now, of all times?*

[It’s hard to explain the details over the phone, so would you mind visiting us when you have time? Kim Jin-woo, you’re the highest-level Dungeon Baby [a person born in a dungeon, possessing unique abilities] that our Development Bureau is most interested in, so we’d really appreciate a visit.]

Kim Joo-hyuk, the Deputy Director of the Underground Development Bureau, repeatedly asked him to visit the office before hanging up.

“Why now, of all times…”

Kim Jin-woo couldn’t understand the Development Bureau’s attitude, which was markedly different from the government’s past neglect of the underground.

It wasn’t convincing to say that it was because a labyrinth had been discovered recently, considering the government’s actions over the past 10 years.

The fact that a tremendous amount of money was flowing out of the underground was the same then and now, and Kim Joo-hyuk’s eagerness seemed too calculated to be solely based on the discovery of a labyrinth whose value was still unknown.

It was clear that this was something he had been preparing for a long time.

The question ‘Why?’ surfaced repeatedly in his mind. But he couldn’t find the answer by worrying alone.

Hoping for some insight, he contacted Teacher Baek, but Teacher Baek’s reaction was that he had never heard of it.

Kim Jin-woo vaguely answered Teacher Baek, who was asking him for details about the Underground Development Bureau, and stared at the address on his phone before leaving the house.

Considering that he would soon be returning to the underground, it wasn’t right to just wait for contact.

“Hmm…”

The Underground Development Bureau was located in the heart of Gwanghwamun. He stared at the Development Bureau’s office, which looked like any ordinary company and didn’t even have a prominent sign, before entering.

The sight of the Underground Development Bureau, where more than twenty people were engrossed in their computer screens in an office of about 40 square meters [approximately 430 square feet], convinced him that it was by no means a hastily formed group.

“How can I help you?”

“I’ve come to see Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk.”

He immediately stated his business when one of the employees noticed him.

“Who should I say is here?”

“You can say it’s Kim Jin-woo. I spoke with him earlier today.”

“Ah, Mr. Kim Jin-woo? Yes, I understand.”

Kim Jin-woo’s eyes flashed. He pretended to accept the words calmly, but the man was clearly surprised to hear his name.

That meant that this man also knew who he was. And that was consistent with the fact that almost all of the Underground Development Bureau’s employees were working closely with the underground.

Otherwise, there was no way that a mere office worker could be so surprised to hear his name, which was classified information even within the Management Office.

“Oh, Mr. Kim Jin-woo, you’re here earlier than I expected.”

Not long after the man disappeared behind the partition, a man who appeared to be Kim Joo-hyuk approached.

“I’m Kim Joo-hyuk. I’m very glad to see you in person. Come this way.”

As expected, the man with an ordinary impression was Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk. Guided by him, Kim Jin-woo entered a conference room in one corner of the office.

“I didn’t expect you to come so quickly, so I’m a little surprised.”

“I have a lot of questions.”

Kim Jin-woo immediately brought up the main point because Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk’s welcoming attitude seemed a bit too slick. He knew that when dealing with such a person, he would likely lose out due to his lack of social experience.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. What exactly does the Underground Development Bureau do? I’ve asked around, but no one seems to know.”

“Have you already talked about the Development Bureau to people around you… Ah, well, it doesn’t matter. We’re going to have an official inauguration ceremony soon anyway…”

Kim Jin-woo frowned as he watched Kim Joo-hyuk, who was talking to himself. His whole body language was saying, ‘Just get to the point.’

Kim Joo-hyuk seemed to sense this, and soon began to explain with an embarrassed face.

“Our Underground Development Bureau is an organization that was established with the aim of contributing to the public interest by managing the infinite possibilities and potential of the underground in a more proper way.”

“Is it ultimately because of the Down Jam [a valuable resource found in dungeons]?”

“It’s different. It’s not *because* of the Down Jam, but rather, you could say that the main concern is how much we can develop society *with* that Down Jam. In fact, the value of Down Jam is endless. If it’s a top-grade Down Jam, it can actually bring significant development to various social fields, right? It’s just a pity that Down Jam, which has such infinite value, is now only benefiting a small number of wealthy people.”

He went on and on, but it was clear that it was ultimately about the Down Jam.

The profits and value generated from the underground were close to infinite, both now and in the past. It was hard to understand why the government had neglected the underground for so long.

The government had virtually transferred all rights to the underground to the private sector. The government even handed over the custody of Dungeon Babies, which could be said to be the core of underground exploration, to private families.

He couldn’t fathom why they were now showing such a keen interest in the underground so suddenly.

“Why now of all times?”

The direct question contained a lot of meaning. Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk also seemed to understand the meaning contained in the short words, and he chose his words carefully.

“Why *not* now of all times?”

Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk’s words, which he uttered after a long pause, were like a Zen riddle.

“It’s because it’s now that we started this.”

Kim Jin-woo waited for the next words, but Kim Joo-hyuk didn’t seem willing to explain further.

“You’ll find out the details little by little. Kim Jin-woo is the undisputed highest-level Dungeon Baby in Korea, and I promise that our side won’t hide information from Kim Jin-woo, even if other people don’t know.”

“I don’t understand why you bothered to bring it up in the first place if you’re not going to tell me now.”

If that was the case, it would have been better to wait. There’s a reason why the saying ‘stirring up a hornet’s nest’ exists.

However, Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk seemed to have anticipated even this reaction from him, and he answered without hesitation.

“We wanted at least those who came up from the depths, including Mr. Kim Jin-woo, to know.”

“What do you mean?”

Kim Jin-woo asked, half-rising from his seat, annoyed with Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk’s evasive attitude.

Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk maintained an unchanging expression even at his show of annoyance.

“The fact that the war isn’t completely over.”

Kim Jin-woo unknowingly sat back down, the strangely resonant voice catching him off guard.

“Please, at least for the time being, don’t get involved in unnecessary disputes.”

Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk bowed his head, abandoning his sly attitude, and his demeanor was excessively earnest.

“We really need Mr. Kim Jin-woo’s strength.”

***

The meeting with Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk created even more questions.

“If you’re going to be like this, you shouldn’t have said anything at all.”

Kim Jin-woo muttered to himself in frustration, as he had only become more curious without getting a clear answer.

*’I’ll tell you everything soon. However, until then, please watch our Underground Development Bureau with unbiased eyes. I beg you.’*

Instead of a proper goodbye, Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk made a request that felt more like a demand.

“What the hell is going on?”

Kim Jin-woo, sensing that something was changing again, looked up at the blue sky with a heavy heart.

The open view that cannot be seen in the underground, somehow the wide sky weighed down on his heart even more today.

***

“I’ve looked into the Underground Development Bureau.”

Teacher Baek, who hadn’t even been asked, had already gathered information about the Underground Development Bureau and started talking about it.

“It seems that the Development Bureau will be in charge of all matters related to the management of explorers and the underground, which the government has been neglecting.”

“So, they’re going to manage it in more detail than the Labyrinth Management Office.”

“That’s not really the case. The Development Bureau isn’t going to manage it in detail, but rather, they’re going to manage the underground *directly*.”

“What…”

“I got this information with great difficulty, but it seems that a government-affiliated explorer team has been created. And it’s a team made up entirely of Dungeon Babies and soldiers, with no ordinary explorers at all.”

*As expected.* The Underground Development Bureau was clearly a department that had been preparing for longer than he had thought.

“They’ve prepared very well. It’s amazing that they’ve been hiding it this well. I don’t know what they did, but even this information was only released because they’re about to launch; otherwise, I would have been fooled too.”

Teacher Baek, who seemed to have confidence in his information-gathering skills, admired the level of secrecy more than the work that the Underground Development Bureau was doing itself.

“Anyway, the Association is completely screwed over by this. They’ve already been criticized for monopolizing the labyrinths, and if the Underground Development Bureau is launched this time, the whole thing will be completely broken. The work that the Development Bureau does is not much different from what the Association used to do. If the value is the same, people are bound to flock to the government side, which has more credibility, right?”

Deputy Director Kim Joo-hyuk of the Underground Development Bureau talked grandly, but in short, it was nothing more than a power struggle. If that was the case, he didn’t need to pay much attention to it. After all, if their interests align, they can use each other and take what they need. He absolutely hated getting involved in complicated political fights.

However, the one thing that bothered him was the statement that the war was not over yet.

It is known that the underground was defeated and signed a treaty not to invade the surface again. But what war is still going on that it hasn’t ended yet?

*No, is it anything to do with me?*

Kim Jin-woo’s face turned cold. If it’s war, he’s already experienced it enough in the underground. There was no reason to be a scaredy-cat who was surprised by the word war now.

Kim Jin-woo finished talking with Teacher Baek, matching his rhythm appropriately, and got up from his seat.

“Ah, and bring some Down Jam. This isn’t a real estate agency, and I’m sorry for coming and going empty-handed every day.”

“I’ll bring it soon.”

He was planning to exchange the Down Jam for money because he needed to buy a few necessary items anyway. Teacher Baek smacked his lips and waved his hand, promising to do so next time.

“Hmm? Why again? Did I leave something out?”

Teacher Baek asked indifferently, seeing that Kim Jin-woo, who was about to leave the door, had stopped.

“Ah, no. Then I’ll be going.”

As he said that, messages that could not be seen by anyone else flashed before Kim Jin-woo’s eyes.