Dungeon Prison
The Griffin leader—no, the monster now named Sasuri—stared silently at its nest. Inside, the jewels it had once offered to Han Ji-woo were piled high.
Yesterday morning.
Han Ji-woo had come to the Dungeon Prison and sought out the Griffin leader. Truth be told, it hadn't wanted to go. It knew full well he'd just use it as a mount. But with its past sins weighing on it, refusing meant getting its head smashed by the Ogre King. Hell, it didn't even need the Ogre King—Han Ji-woo, fresh from the Dragon Tomb, radiated an overwhelming aura incomparable to before. It had to be dragon energy.
So the Griffin leader had come to fear Han Ji-woo. It had even considered hiding somewhere, but in this cramped Dungeon Prison, that was impossible. Under the Ogre King's orders, every monster would comb the place, and it'd be caught in hours. What choice did it have? Might as well play dead and follow orders.
"Hyah! Hyah! You bastard, did you even wean off milk? Run faster!"
"Krr~ Nice breeze. Fly straight up high. Huh? Flies over there. You eat flies?"
"Ever think about it? What if your upper body's a lion and lower body's an eagle? This balance is total trash."
"Which one's the lion? Dad? Mom?"
This damn human spewed nonsense nonstop while treating it like a mangy mutt in training. Then, when the Griffin leader finally collapsed, lungs burning...
Thud.
"Found it. Here."
He casually tossed over a wooden basket. Inside were, astonishingly, the jewels the Griffin leader had surrendered.
"...Why?"
It was baffling. He'd snatched them as payment for its life, so why return them now? Suspicious of some hidden agenda, it eyed Han Ji-woo warily.
"Sorry."
He apologized out of nowhere.
"Must've been tough on you."
"Why are you doing this?"
"That time you shoved a spur at my neck? Consider it evened out by you busting your ass as my scaredy mount for a few days."
Han Ji-woo nudged the jewel-filled basket with his foot.
"These are your most precious things, right?"
A faint smile lit his face with a glow. Handing back treasures it had braced itself never to see again. Showing such mercy to an enemy who'd once targeted his life? In that moment, the Griffin leader was utterly won over by Han Ji-woo. Without anyone commanding it, it slammed its head to the ground.
"From now on, you are my master."
It declared submission of its own accord. Thus, the Griffin leader became bound as Han Ji-woo's pet.
You have tamed the Griffin Leader. The Griffin Leader has become your pet.
Please name your pet.
Han Ji-woo hadn't exactly anticipated this, but no reason to turn down a gift. He named it on the spot.
"Sasuri. That's your name from now on."
A mashup of "lion" and "eagle," slapped together. But the Griffin leader was thrilled.
"Understood. I am now Sasuri, with a master."
And so, another pet was born: Griffin Sasuri.
* * *
Until Second Monster Wave: 00:01:00
One minute until the second Monster Wave. Han Ji-woo scanned his surroundings.
Rice paddies and fields, livestock pens, flower beds, fruit trees—everything he'd diligently built was ringed by tall stone walls. This was his preparation for battle.
'The difficulty won't skyrocket compared to the first wave, anyway.'
The Hidden Space tailored itself to maximize his convenience. The first wave hadn't been hard to repel. So crops mattered more than monsters—they wouldn't politely avoid his hard-earned fields.
"He laid out flame-flower petals just in case."
Every path between the crops was carpeted with flame-flower petals, like a red carpet. If the wave proved tougher than expected, he would ignite them like torches and unleash a firestorm. But that would damage the crops, so it was best avoided.
Until Second Monster Wave: 00:00:00
Monster Wave commencing.
"Here it comes."
Unsure where monsters would spawn, Han Ji-woo and his pets stood back-to-back, facing all four directions.
As the second Monster Wave message appeared, the ground rumbled: ku-gu-gu-gu-gu! A minor quake shook the space.
"Ugh."
The entire area trembling instilled unexpected dread in Han Ji-woo.
'What if a massive horde's coming?'
Is that why the ground shook? Maybe he should've focused more on fighting than crop defense. But regretting now wouldn't boost his forces...
'Wait, I do have some!'
A sudden idea flashed through his mind.
Then.
Ku-rur-rur-rur!Ku-rur...
......
The tremors faded, and a monster pack burst from the Salt Mine like a dog swarm.
Gargoyles with stone bodies, devil faces, and bat wings. Naga with snake lower bodies and human torsos. Lizardmen slaughtered on Dungeon Floor 11. Manticore with lion bodies, human faces, and scorpion tails. All mid-grade monsters charging ferociously.
Pets guarding different directions pivoted toward the Salt Mine, reforming ranks. Han Ji-woo shouted simultaneously.
"Turkan! Sasuri! Here!"
The two, who should've been in the Dungeon Prison, appeared before him.
'As expected!'
Bound pets could be summoned here. Turkan held farming tools; Sasuri clutched a stinking fertilizer basket in its talons. Mid-farmwork, they blinked in confusion at the changed scenery. Spotting Han Ji-woo, they hurried to bow—but.
"Never mind. I'll explain later. Help me smash those things."
His finger pointed to the horde filling the space from the Salt Mine.
Turkan tossed its pitchfork aside.
"Shouldn't you swing that? You're empty-handed."
To his master's question, Turkan shook its head firmly.
"I can't sully sacred farming tools with monster blood. Queeik!"
"Ooh."
This guy was a farmer through and through now! The perfect, steadfast example.
Sasuri shoved its fertilizer aside too. As Turkan clenched its fists, Sasuri glared at the gargoyles blotting the sky and shot upward. That was the signal.
"Wipe 'em out!"
Han Ji-woo and his five pets clashed with the endless mid-grade monsters pouring from the Salt Mine.
Seibier, the chubby one, met the foes first. Wings flapping, it low-flew like lightning to their midst and roared.
Kroaaaargh!
Its plump form vanished, replaced by a sleek, imposing hatchling radiating dragon majesty. No longer the pampered cutie—combat-mode Seibier had descended.
Its roar unleashed dragon fear, shattering the monsters' minds.
Kieeek! Kruk! Kru-ruk!
Terror-struck, they collapsed or dropped weapons to flee. Then black mist shrouded them—Seibier's black breath.
Kiaaaah! Ke-eek! Kek!
Dozens touched by the ultra-cold, melting breath vanished as if never there.
But Seibier's terror didn't end. Its maw unleashed a fierce blizzard: white breath, trapping in eternal ice.
Jjeojjeok! Jjeok!
Struck monsters froze into statues. Ice that wouldn't melt or shatter without impact. Seibier smashed them.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
Ice shattered; bodies exploded.
As Seibier seized control early, late-arriving Han Ji-woo marveled.
'Dragon bloodline for real!'
Base stats at 500—impressive on paper, mind-blowing in action.
"Good job, chubby!"
Donning Red Dragon Bone Armor and single-horn steel sword, Han Ji-woo charged the horde. His blade sliced space.
Seogeuk! Pi-it!
Monster blood sprayed. Tasting it, the sword didn't stop. Sword Emperor Barpogia mid-tier swordsmanship flowed flawlessly from his hands—every technique precise, severing heads that rolled.
Meanwhile, Lucy, Pao, and Turkan crushed two or three each effortlessly. Dragon fear's lingering debuff sapped their stats; they were no match.
Pausing his swings, Han Ji-woo glanced skyward.
Piiiiiing!
Sasuri roared thunderously, soloing gargoyles. They swarmed with claws, but eyes gouged or wings torn, they plummeted.
Both mid-grade, but Sasuri was leader of all griffins—larger, gargoyles no real threat. Still, their numbers worried Han Ji-woo about stamina, so he ordered Seibier.
"Chubby! Help Sasuri!"
Kyuruk!
Ferocious as a hell lion, it obeyed innocently and soared.
Kroaaaargh!
Its wingbeat roar fainted several gargoyles, plummeting into comrades below—heads crushed. Those hit weren't unscathed either.
Seibier hunted in earnest: chasing circling foes, shredding repeatedly. Sasuri watched, eyes filling with awe and admiration.
'Am I flying the skies with a dragon hatchling right now?'
Shivers of thrill surged power; Sasuri rampaged fiercer.
His crew outmatched foes ten-to-one, but monsters kept spawning endlessly.
"Time to even the numbers!"
Han Ji-woo bellowed, activating his skill.
Undead Master!
The necromancer skill summoning undead monsters fired six times in a row.
Deu-deuk! Deu-deu-deuk!
Thirty undead monsters clawed from graves like revived lions, blocking before their summoner with fierce glares.
"Sweep 'em, corpses!"