Arrival at the Dungeon Prison
As soon as Han Ji-woo arrived at the Dungeon Prison, the first thing he witnessed was orcs hauling war supplies. And Turkan was directing them.
"Turkan!"
At Han Ji-woo's call, Turkan's face lit up as he hurried over.
"You've come, Master! Queeeek!"
"Hey, is this a real war or what?"
"Yes, it is. Queeeek."
"What's the situation?"
"Ogre King. Suddenly started the war. This morning, we were doing farm work. Then suddenly, earthquake came. Queeeek! So......"
Turkan recounted everything that had happened that day and all the information he knew in as much detail as possible. Fortunately, his speech was far easier to understand than Pao's ramblings.
After hearing the full story, Han Ji-woo summed it up briefly.
"So, the Ogre King suddenly declares war, copying every visible living creature to attack us, right?"
"Yes. Queeeeek!"
"And no one knows why."
"Correct. Queek!"
"Hmm...... Guess I need to head to the battlefield first. Which way?"
Turkan pointed southeast with his index finger.
"That way. Queek. But Ogre King is dangerous. If he copies Master...... Queeeeek!"
"I'll be careful, so don't worry. Pao, you stay here."
"Got it!"
"......Not even an empty line like 'I have to protect my master, so I'll follow'?"
Pao scratched the back of his head vigorously.
"Why would Pao follow if protecting master?"
It stung, but he couldn't argue with the logic.
"Forget it, you punk."
Grumbling, Han Ji-woo started walking.
"Chubby!"
As he raced toward the battlefield, Han Ji-woo summoned Seibier.
Kyurruk?
Seibier appeared at his master's call, shaking its plump body excitedly like it was dancing.
"We're going to the battlefield. You know where, right?"
Han Ji-woo had also heard from Turkan about what happened between Seibier, Pao, and Sasuri. They'd gone looking for the golden goblin, Turkan said. Pao added that he'd then headed to the battlefield. So, Han Ji-woo figured Seibier would know the location.
In response to his master's question, Seibier released its polymorph and let out a mighty roar.
Kraaaaaah!
It was bragging, "I totally know where the battlefield is! Aren't I amazing?" Clearly hoping for praise.
Knowing Seibier's heart well, Han Ji-woo patted its sleek, transformed body lightly.
"Yeah, yeah. Our Chubby is the best. Let's fly to the battlefield like lightning!"
Kraaaaaaaaah!
Thrilled by the praise, Seibier roared even louder—
"Aigoo! I-I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to run away! Th-the dragon wasn't visible, so I was just looking for where you'd gone~!"
—when a golden creature suddenly appeared out of nowhere, prostrating itself dramatically.
Han Ji-woo's eyes caught the name of the bowing monster.
[Golden Goblin Jami]
"Huh?"
The golden goblin! The exact one Turkan had mentioned. The one with Invisible magic, essential for Seibier to join the war.
Han Ji-woo wondered why it was here in this situation. Just moments ago, it had been with Sasuri. But seizing a moment when Sasuri was lost in thought, it had gone invisible and bolted. On its way back to its lair, it unluckily ran into Seibier. And Seibier, roaring loudly to impress Han Ji-woo, had dominated it with dragon fear.
"Jami."
Han Ji-woo casually called the name floating above the golden goblin's head.
But Jami's eyes went wide. It stared at Han Ji-woo with a face packed with every ounce of emotion in the world.
A trembling voice escaped Jami's lips.
"H-how did you know my name is Jami?"
Han Ji-woo had no time or patience for a long explanation.
"It's just written on your face, Jami."
It was a classic dad joke, Korean-style.
"......!"
Kaboom!
Lightning struck in Jami's mind, his heart pounding like it would burst.
"Eek!"
Suddenly clutching his left chest, Jami collapsed.
What's wrong with this guy all of a sudden?
Han Ji-woo grabbed Jami by the scruff and hoisted him onto Seibier's back.
"Chubby, let's go!"
Krrruuuh!
Seibier growled low, spread its black wings, and launched into a vigorous flight.
But then Jami burst into tears out of nowhere.
"Hic! Sob sob!"
That was mildly bewildering, but manageable. The problem came next.
"Kuhuhuk! Hic!"
As Jami wailed even more intensely, he started worming his way into Han Ji-woo's arms.
What the—?
Han Ji-woo wanted to toss him off, but since he could cast Invisible, he endured and activated Plan B: "Soothe Jami."
"Why? What's so sad?"
Jami unleashed a torrent of words like a machine gun.
"Actually, I gave myself the name Jami. You might not know, but I'm not like regular goblins. I was captured by a lich named Artazin and subjected to biological experiments. Days of pain and suffering, but as a result, instead of changing skin color, I gained magic, high self-awareness, and intelligence."
Han Ji-woo's mind looped with So what? but he kept a straight face and soothed him.
"Yeah, yeah. And then?"
"Goblins don't have names. They live and die as parts of a tribe. But with heightened self-awareness, I wanted a name. After much thought on what suited me best, I chose Jami."
Jami meant "perfect" in goblin tongue.
"But no one ever called me by it. Naturally, since I never told anyone."
Telling that foul-tempered lich would just earn a whipping. Then the Bryunak Continent fell, freeing him from the lich, and he was assigned to the Dungeon Prison. But even there, no one opened his heart. Everyone had their groups, but Jami, warped by experiments, was too far from ordinary goblins. Plus, no other goblins existed in the prison. He'd searched everywhere in his free time, but found none. And he didn't want to mingle with other monsters—he saw himself as superior. So he spent his days in lonely isolation.
Jami poured out this long tale while perched on Seibier's back en route to the battlefield. After a deep sigh at the end of his lament, he asked Han Ji-woo,
"Sorry, but may I have your name?"
"Just call me Ji-woo."
"Y-yes. Ji-woo-nim called me by the name no one else did. And said it suits me perfectly. How could I not be moved?"
From Han Ji-woo's view, it was pure misunderstanding piled on misunderstanding. But he kept his mouth shut. Good misconceptions were best left unexplained.
"Anyway, can I tell you about the Ogre King?"
Caught in intense emotion, Jami volunteered unasked info. With the Dungeon Prison war caused by the Ogre King, there was no reason to refuse.
"Sure. Your info sounds really helpful."
Jami put on a secretive face.
"The Ogre King—I saw it earlier spitting out copies from its body, but it didn't have that power originally."
"You two were close?"
Jami shook his head vigorously.
"No, but we were experimented on together, so I know it well."
"Together?"
"Yes."
"Keep going."
"It was normal ogre size before, but grew huge after experiments. That damn lich said it now had five times a normal ogre's strength. But that was it. I've seen it from afar here in the prison—no copying before."
Han Ji-woo nodded.
"Anything else weird?"
"Yes. The copying...... I remember it from a doppelganger in the lab with us."
"Doppelganger?"
"Yes. Doppelgangers shapeshift into others, right? But the one captured by Artazin gained an extra ability post-experiment: copying and expelling smaller beings from its body. Yes, definitely."
Lightning flashed in Han Ji-woo's mind!
"So...... the Ogre King starting this war is actually that doppelganger experimented on by the lich?"
But Jami's next words sowed confusion again.
"But that doppelganger couldn't transform into something that huge. Copying or shapeshifting only worked on targets smaller than itself."
Jami scratched his head, wrapping up.
Then what the hell is this?
If not a doppelganger shapeshifted into Ogre King spitting copies, no other theory fit.
As Han Ji-woo's head spun, the surroundings erupted in monstrous screams. They'd reached the battlefield.
"Chubby, stop!"
Krrruk!
Seibier halted its wingbeats on command, diving sharply into the forest.
Descending from its back, Han Ji-woo peered through massive trees at the illuminated battlefield.
......Holy shit.
It was pure hellscape. A brutality Han Ji-woo had never witnessed defied description.
Flesh and bone spraying everywhere, he instinctively looked skyward. What caught his eye:
Piiiieeeeek—!
Sasuri, surrounded by a griffin flock, getting gang-linched.
In that instant, no rational calculation crossed Han Ji-woo's mind. Only saving Sasuri.
He wanted to fly in on Seibier, but if Ogre King copied it, things could worsen. Then he remembered the set gear from capturing Andrealphus.
Mukhyul Whip, Mukhyul Robe, Mukhyul Boots! Equipping all three activated set effects: Flight and Bloodsuck skills.
He needed Flight now!
Allows flight for 10 minutes. Consumes 1 mana per second.
Without hesitation, Han Ji-woo equipped all three and activated Flight, soaring high as he shouted,
"Jami! Invisible!"
"Wha—! Y-yes, sir!"
As Jami responded, Han Ji-woo shot out like a bullet, ascending rapidly. Then—
Shwaaaaaaaa!
His twin swords swung, and not a single griffin copy escaped—blood spraying as they plummeted.
"Hey, you okay?"
Han Ji-woo asked Sasuri, who had barely escaped danger.
At the same moment, the Ogre King's gaze turned to Han Ji-woo.