Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 91

Dungeon Chronicle – 91

# 91

Dungeon Chronicle

Chapter 92

After the dark merchant left, Kim Jin-woo immediately sought out Yoon-hee. She, who was busy expanding her power, rushed to him and slightly bowed her head.

“Yoon-hee.”

“My Lord.”

That was the extent of her courtesy. Raising her head again, she made no attempt to hide her annoyance at his sudden visit amidst her busy schedule.

“Count Dinart is moving.”

He ignored her expression, as it was nothing new, and immediately got to the point. Startled by his words, she pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Is it related to me?”

“I can’t say for sure yet, but based on the circumstances, it’s hard to say there’s no connection at all.”

Kim Jin-woo explained the situation.

“Anatolius attacked the Parthenon. Originally, it would have ended as a one-off battle, but Dinart suddenly stepped in to support Anatolius. The atmosphere on the 11th floor is said to be chaotic.”

The damage to the Parthenon was somewhat significant, but it was still just a local conflict that often occurred on the 11th floor.

However, Dinart’s support for Anatolius was showing signs of escalating the war.

According to separate investigations, Dinart and Anatolius had no prior contact, making it a truly unexpected situation.

The only reason Dinart would support Anatolius, who had no connection to him, was Yoon-hee.

“It seems my father has found out where I am.”

She seemed to think the same, replying with a serious expression.

“Tell me, what on earth is Count Dinart thinking?”

Kim Jin-woo urged her, hoping that as his daughter, she might have some idea of Dinart’s intentions.

However, she had no way of knowing the situation.

How could she possibly know Dinart’s intentions while sitting in a party hall on the 4th floor, so far removed from Dinart’s territory on the 11th floor? She shook her head and offered a few possibilities.

“Either my inheritance situation is more positive than I thought, or my competitors have crossed the line my father set. Maybe all the heirs have died in the excessive competition.”

“He handles things in a very complicated way.”

Kim Jin-woo couldn’t understand why he would make things so complicated instead of simply choosing his favorite child as his heir.

“If, as you say, all the heirs are dead or disqualified for breaking the rules, what happens then?”

Instead of answering his question, Yoon-hee gave a mysterious smile.

***

After meeting with Yoon-hee, Kim Jin-woo accelerated the subjugation of the labyrinths on the 9th floor.

As it was already the stronghold of the Nagas [a race of serpent-like beings], the rulers of the 9th floor, most of the labyrinths conveyed their willingness to submit. Those that resisted were dealt with separately by Morrigan.

Thanks to this, he was able to subjugate nearly 70 percent of the visible forces among the labyrinths on the 9th floor in a short period of time.

It was truly a situation where the title of “ruler of the 9th floor” didn’t seem out of place.

Not everything was smooth sailing in the process.

The remaining labyrinths, feeling threatened, attempted to form an alliance, resulting in the creation of a coalition of about 30 labyrinths.

However, Kim Jin-woo didn’t care at all. From the moment the number of subjugated labyrinths exceeded the majority of the total labyrinths on the 9th floor, they became entities that couldn’t significantly influence the overall situation.

But he didn’t stop expanding his power.

“After all, even if they’re an alliance, they’re just guys who have banded together to survive. If we consistently show them that siding with us is more beneficial, about half of them will come over anyway.”

He needed both carrot and stick [a combination of reward and punishment]. He constantly shook the anti-Naga alliance’s labyrinths by sending Ricksha and Morrigan alternately.

As a result, ten labyrinths, one-third of the thirty, additionally swore allegiance.

Now, only twenty labyrinths remain.

And even those remaining labyrinths are focusing on locking their doors and preserving themselves, rather than actively trying to check him, so he is truly on the verge of conquering the 9th floor.

[Labyrinth upgrade complete. The labyrinth’s grade has been upgraded from 6th grade to 7th grade. Locked facilities have been newly activated.]

[The fortress’s name is known beyond the 9th floor, reaching the 8th and 10th floors. All of them fear or are wary of the Naga Fortress.]

[All labyrinths that have recognized the fortress’s existence will now keep a close eye on the fortress at all times.]

[The resonating two cores, Main Core and Sub Core, have been adjusted. As the Main Core rises to 7th grade, the downgraded Sub Core’s grade has been unlocked up to 7th grade.]

[The two cores that have reached 7th grade have become incredibly efficient.]

[Dungeon energy total capacity, conversion efficiency, and influence have greatly increased, and the labyrinth’s area has greatly expanded.]

[Now, the Naga Fortress is not just a simple labyrinth. The Naga Fortress, which has restored more than 80 percent of the power of the Naga’s most glorious era, has in some ways made even more progress than before.]

[The fortress’s appearance has become even more similar to the Naga’s homeland.]

[A lake has formed around the fortress. The Nagas will heal their wounds and regain their vitality simply by immersing themselves in the lake.]

[A water dragon has been summoned to protect the lake.]

[Although the water dragon cannot leave the lake, it will become a gatekeeper that repels all malicious groups approaching the Naga Fortress. The water dragon’s power can be considered an army in itself.]

And the changes were not limited to the labyrinth. As the labyrinth reached 7th grade, Kim Jin-woo also underwent a change.

[Dungeon Owner Kim Jin-woo changes. ‘Commander of Succession’ Kim Jin-woo has become an even more powerful being.]

[Unless the achievements of succession are broken, the commander’s amplified abilities will be maintained.]

The upgrade of the Naga Fortress temporarily halted the work, but this was only a step back for a greater advance.

And in fact, Kim Jin-woo, who had finished organizing the fortress, gained even more powerful strength than before.

Even the water dragon, which was automatically summoned upon reaching 7th grade, was a formidable force that no one could match in the water.

The water dragon in the lake surrounding the entire labyrinth like a moat around a castle will protect the fortress from being easily invaded by anyone in the future.

This allowed him to operate the troops he had put on defense more flexibly.

And the labyrinths of the anti-Naga alliance, hearing the news that the Naga Fortress had been further upgraded, were also torn apart and eventually knelt before him.

In less than a month, he became the proud ruler of the 9th floor without a single major war.

[All labyrinths on the 9th floor have been subjugated.]

[You have become the ruler of the 9th floor.]

[Many have claimed to be the rulers of each floor, but no one has actually brought an entire floor under their control. This is a tremendous achievement that no one in the underground has ever accomplished. The fact that not many people were interested in the 9th floor, which is not the deep layers, may have contributed, but it is definitely a great feat in itself.]

[Commander of Succession Kim Jin-woo has obtained the title of ‘Conqueror’.]

[Various stats increase and additional effects are obtained.]

Kim Jin-woo nodded with a proud expression as he looked at the messages appearing before his eyes. He had brought the 9th floor under his control more easily than he had expected.

[Baron Kim Jin-woo’s territory has become the entire 9th floor. This is a larger territory than the estates of the counts on the 11th floor.]

[Now, no one can enter or leave the 9th floor without Conqueror Kim Jin-woo’s permission.]

[The Conqueror’s fame, having subjugated all the labyrinths on the 9th floor, resounds throughout the underground.]

[The counts on the 11th floor have become aware of the Conqueror’s existence. Spies from the counts who did not participate in the war have begun to head to the 9th floor.]

[The nobles on the 10th floor feel a sense of crisis. Many nobles who have already been defeated by the Commander of Succession and other nobles have begun to check the Conqueror.]

Bringing the entire 9th floor under his control is not all good news. The nobles on the 10th floor are feeling a sense of crisis and have begun to move, and the counts on the 11th floor have turned their eyes to the 9th floor.

He didn’t yet know how that would affect the situation.

***

“I pay my respects to the Baron who has achieved an accomplishment that no one else has ever achieved!”

The dark merchant bowed deeply to him, showing unprecedented respect. While kneeling, he respectfully took out a wooden box and offered it, which contained a noble’s seal.

[Would you like to inherit the position of Underground Baron?]

Kim Jin-woo, holding the seal and staring at it, smiled.

“Congratulations on ascending to the position of Baron!”

The dark merchant once again pressed his head deeply to the floor and offered his congratulations.

***

The congratulatory envoy was not only the dark merchant. The chief of the Big Momma Boar tribe, who had formed a relationship on the 8th floor, also sent a congratulatory envoy.

“I pay my respects to the Conqueror’s great achievement!”

Kim Jin-woo nodded with an arrogant attitude at Chief Boar’s greeting.

“Do you remember the deal I made with you?”

He had received help from the boars to quickly traverse the 8th floor, which was in the midst of war. At that time, he had promised to grant them a favor someday in return, and it seemed that Chief Boar had come directly because Kim Jin-woo had not come back.

“I have come to receive the compensation I did not receive at that time.”

As he expected, Chief Boar brought up the previous deal as a card.

“Speak.”

Kim Jin-woo frowned, not even guessing what kind of request they would make. Seeing him like that, Chief Boar flared his nostrils and said.

“Don’t worry too much. It won’t be a very difficult request.”

“I’ll decide that after I hear it.”

Chief Boar nodded and began to explain.

“The 8th floor is a mess right now. The war is still raging.”

“Still?”

It had already been several months since he had ridden the boars through the 8th floor, which was at war. Kim Jin-woo couldn’t help but be surprised that the war was still raging.

“Well, if it were just a war between labyrinths, it would have ended by now… but this isn’t just a simple problem.”

“I’d like to hear more details.”

He changed his expression, sensing that there was something more to it.

“I don’t know if you know, but what’s the situation in the lower levels right now? Actually, the 9th floor is a bit too deep to be called the lower levels, isn’t it?”

As Chief Boar said, the 9th floor was closer to the deep layers than the lower levels. Thanks to this, he was actually more familiar with the 10th floor than the 8th floor. There were no beings coming down from the 8th floor, and there were plenty of beings coming up from the 10th floor, so it was no wonder.

“Anyway, the 8th floor is in chaos right now because of the surface dwellers.”

“Surface dwellers? Are you talking about humans?”

Kim Jin-woo frowned without realizing it at the unexpected words. Whether he did or not, Chief Boar puffed out his nose and continued his explanation.

“That’s right. Those humans. Those humans are tearing up the lower levels right now.”