The Dungeon Folk Hunt Down the Trolls
The dungeon survivors set out in search of trolls, and Ferrofero was right there with them. The little guy stuck especially close to Seol Ara.
Curious, Seol Ara asked the one question nagging at her. "So, how do you keep in touch with Ji-woo?"
"Truth be told, it's not easy at all, ma'am. Even this time, it was pure chance that I got a brief glimpse of him."
"I see."
Seol Ara's tone dipped just a touch. She'd held out a sliver of hope that she might run into Han Ji-woo someday, but this dashed it.
"Is Ji-woo still in the Hidden Space?"
"That's right, ma'am."
He was actually tackling a mini-dungeon at the moment, but Ferrofero figured spilling that would just worry her. So, he lied.
"He can keep staying safe in there, right?"
"Absolutely, ma'am. The Hidden Space protects anyone inside from the dungeon's dangers."
Their back-and-forth naturally drew the others' attention. But Ishihara Yui, who'd been listening quietly, suddenly ground her teeth and glared daggers at Ferrofero.
"Y'know, now that I think about it, isn't it that damn cat's kidnapping that got us all into this mess?"
Jonathan Yombi nodded vigorously. "Do you even know how many people died after getting dragged here by you?!"
Ferrofero stopped dead in his tracks, hanging his head low. "That... I sincerely apologize, ma'am."
He dropped flat to the ground, pleading with genuine remorse in his voice. "I won't beg for forgiveness for my sins. But I had someone I had to protect, and I had no choice. They threatened that if I didn't, I'd never see that person again."
"That's your problem!"
Yui lunged like a fury, her fist cocked to smash his head in. But—
Thud!
Two shins shot in from either side, crossing like an X to block her punch. It was the Onelli twins, masters of the Taekwondo skill.
Yui faltered for a split second, but she poured more power into her arm regardless. With her base stats, no one could stand against her—not even the twins combining their strength.
Crash!
Their legs buckled and flew back. Right then—
Fast and Slow!
Josh McConnell, charging toward Ferrofero, slashed Yui's agility while boosting his own. He leaped in, barely snatching the cat knight out of harm's way.
Boom!
Yui's fist cratered the spot where Ferrofero had been prostrating, leaving a massive hole. She whirled on the twins and Josh, who had interfered, her rage boiling over.
"Have you all lost your damn minds?!"
The twins shot to their feet, firing back. "Hear the cat out first."
"Yeah. Bad deeds are bad deeds, but we gotta get what we can out of it."
Josh brushed dirt off his clothes and nodded. "You think we wanna keep this guy alive? Let's be real, darling. The little furball's being super cooperative with us. And he's a former Dungeon Manager. Sorry for the dead, but the living have to survive."
As the trio pressed their case, Yui shot a pleading glance at Mitchell Hoff. But even he wasn't on her side.
"Sorry, but they're right. We use everything we can to stay alive."
"Argh! Do whatever!"
Yui squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. Then Ferrofero poked the bear again.
"Even if your punch had landed, it wouldn't have fazed me, but thank you for the save, ma'am."
"...You and me, later. Dumbass neko."
As the commotion died down, Kayla Aleksandrov's gentle, all-embracing voice echoed telepathically in everyone's heads—the most warm-hearted of the group.
So, how did our kitty flip sides, I wonder~?
"It's a long story, but in the end, it was all thanks to Master Ji-woo."
Swayed by Master Ji-woo, huh~? Oh my, what a guy. Truly amazing, right everyone~?
The group responded with smiles, but one person nodded furiously up and down. It was Red, who rarely showed emotion.
"That kid goes nuts every time Ji-woo's name comes up lately."
"Yeah. He's not usually like that."
"I haven't even exchanged a word with him!"
"Jonathan, Red's mute, remember?"
"Oh, right. Wait, no! How do we know if he can't talk or just won't? Something's fishy about him anyway."
"He's not the dark-and-brooding type. Point is, it's hilarious how the emotionless one lights up at Han Ji-woo's name."
As a few murmured among themselves—
"Everyone, troll sighted!"
Kim Jung-min, who'd sent Duduk-i on recon, shouted it out. The duck-like pet had burrowed underground, spotted the troll, and shared its location with him.
The group hurried toward where Kim Jung-min pointed. Soon enough, a lone troll lumbered into view through the trees.
"Perfect timing. I was in a foul mood anyway."
Yui clenched her fist and stepped forward. Pierre Rasbon checked with her. "Remember the plan?"
"Beat it to near-death five times, wait for it to heal each time. Got it?"
"Excellent."
"I'm venting solo, so no one interfere!"
Yui bellowed and shot off like the wind.
Splat!
Kieeeek!
The troll's pitiful screech echoed through the forest.
"...Does Yui's stats ramp up with her anger?"
Jonathan muttered, watching the troll turn to mush.
* * *
Bow. Scrape. Bow. Scrape.
Pierre pointed at the groveling troll by Yui's side. "See? Make 'em walk the line between life and death five times, and they submit like that. But don't mistake it for a pet—they'll betray you after a day."
That was straight from the Monster Almanac. But Pierre had never planned to tame it long-term anyway. What good was a one-day troll? Better to smash them all and hunt for the key.
But Han Ji-woo's message via Ferrofero had reignited his spark, and his brain was firing on all cylinders now.
What if we tame every troll and make them find the key?
So they'd started with one.
"Alright, time to build a troll legion."
After that, it was smooth sailing. Their tamed troll approached its kin without suspicion. The target let its guard down—then got ambushed and pummeled mercilessly by the survivors.
Five rounds of near-death later, another troll joined the ranks.
Now two trolls repeated the ploy. As their numbers grew, luring and taming fresh ones got easier and faster.
In under two hours, they'd subjugated every troll in the forest. And now—
"Everyone~ Fresh watermelon!"
"Fridge makes this heaven."
"Grilled pork belly—who wants some?"
"Josh's steak, the one that floored everyone at the party! First come, first served. Hurry or miss out!"
"Pfft! Lake water feels even cooler. Feels good to wash up."
Everyone~ I made apple juice, help yourselves~
They lounged away the downtime. The crystal key? Dozens of trolls would sniff it out—no extra work needed. Just rest for body and soul.
Ferrofero mingled happily among them, buzzing with excitement.
"Swimming in the lake~! Haven't done this in ages, ma'am! Want me to catch fish for you?"
"Grilled fish is always killer, ma'am! Mind if I snag another?"
"Dozing by the campfire feels so good, ma'am. What's that? Burning smell? Gasp! My whiskers are gone, ma'am!"
The group still harbored some resentment toward Ferrofero. But bit by bit, he'd been helping out. And now this heartfelt apology.
Plus, watching him frolic so innocently—pure joy radiating from him, laced with the loneliness of ages past—softened a few hearts. Some even saw him as another victim.
Occasional hands patted the head of the purring cat knight curled by the fire. Ferrofero's lips curled in bliss, tears glistening at the corners of his eyes.
* * *
Mini-dungeon basement level 2.
Navigating the moderately twisty maze and fending off the low-grade gremlins popping up here and there, Han Ji-woo finally spotted the stairs to level 3.
At the foot of the stairs, he accessed the Synchronization Shop and sold off his loot. Plenty of gremlins, but meager drops—61 points earned.
Plus 50 more for finding the level 3 stairs. Total from level 2: 111 points.
He was about to invest them when he paused, tilting his head.
"Hold up. The Synchronization System was made for me by the Hidden Space. ...So this mini-dungeon has zero rewards for clearing floors?"
It hit him like a brick. No food on levels 1 or 2.
Tap-tap-tap!
Half-disbelieving, he descended to level 3. More stone walls everywhere. No edibles in sight—not even basic dungeon weeds.
The Creator (Typewriter) had warned him: he might die in this quest. But the monsters were too weak for that. Early dungeon or not, mini-dungeons were compressed versions—fewer floors meant ramping difficulty per level.
Yet levels 1 and 2 weren't that much harder than expected. Unless...
"...Clear the dungeon before you starve?"
The mini-dungeon's gimmick was a speedrun.
"That Creator bastard's a real piece of work."
Made it seem like raw difficulty, but hid the real trap. How much suffering did this freak want from others? A god among perverts.
"Sigh. Whatever. No point getting mad."
The Creator pissed him off, sure. But Han Ji-woo had Ibelius's will on his side, granting the Synchronization System. Food? No issue.
He tapped the Synchronization Shop's investment tab.
How many points would you like to invest in Synchronization?
102/5,000P
*Synchronization progresses every 100 points invested.
Han Ji-woo dumped all 111 points and grinned lazily.
"Hidden Space is stacked with food."
Investment points exceeded 200.
Synchronization beginning. One random building, crafted item, or acquired pet from the Hidden Space will be shared.
"Yeah. I've got multiple fields, three barns. Fruit trees too. If the lake syncs, fish galore. Drinking water sorted. Outta all that, gotta sync something edible..."
The next instant, Han Ji-woo froze at the sight before him.
Qruruk?
Tilting its head with a dazed look around, the chubby black hatchling—Seibier—stood there.
...Did my luck stat take a vacation?
Food was supposed to sync. Instead, the glutton did.