Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Invitation to the Hidden Dungeon
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The man met my eyes and immediately spoke up.
“First, let's deal with the remaining ghouls together and then talk, shall we?”
My first impression of him wasn't great.
‘He's just dictating terms?’
It was because, despite this being our first meeting, he was naturally trying to take control of the situation.
And from my experience,
most people like that were the type who flaunted their confidence in their own power.
“Go. Everyone.”
At the man's command, starting from the goblins to the ogre skeleton, his undead legion of over thirty charged at the remaining dozen ghouls.
The classic necromancer tactic of overwhelming with sheer numbers.
Completely different from me, who fought alongside Kkaebi up close.
‘With that many, it's quick, at least.’
It took barely a minute.
In that short time, they utterly crushed the ghouls.
“Phew, now we can talk.”
Once the area was cleared, the man approached leisurely and struck up a conversation.
“You look like a necromancer-type like me, but what's with that black skeleton? Some special ability?”
‘I'm still figuring it out myself, you punk.’
Whatever the reason, he'd stolen my prey and the experience right out from under me, so I scowled.
He'd probably expected this reaction anyway, so I humored him for a moment.
“It was my hunt.”
“Ah, I see. Looked like it was too much for you. Anyone seeing a necromancer fight up close would think the same.”
“Nosy. Anyway, nothing to tell you.”
Despite words that should have irked him,
“Fair enough. Wouldn't want to spill your traits to a total stranger on day one. Hmm…”
the man nodded as if he understood, still wearing that leisurely smile.
“But. You should probably tell me anyway. This is Utopia, after all.”
No sooner had he finished than the thirty skeletons that had just wiped out the ghouls circled around me and Kkaebi.
I met the man's eyes calmly and spoke.
“Tch. Especially in Utopia, messing with me like this is a bad idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“Means if you touch me, I'll have to touch you back.”
The man's slight smile froze.
Then suddenly,
“Puhahaha!”
he burst into roaring laughter.
What was so funny about my words?
“So you're saying you'll kill me or something? Is that it? Or trying to make me laugh to death?”
More of a lightweight with humor than I'd thought.
“No. Think about it logically. You've got one skeleton. I've got thirty. You can feel the level gap just looking, right?”
Sure enough, on the surface, the level difference between us looked pretty big.
“Well. Even if that special skeleton guzzles mana, no way it matches what it takes to summon my thirty. Right?”
Unlike Kkaebi with his independent mana stats, most summons and their numbers were directly tied to their master's mana.
So his level was probably mid-thirties. Impressively high.
“The world doesn't always bend to your standards.”
But not enough that I couldn't kill him.
“Whoa? Unexpected twist. Even after the explanation, you're still game to fight?”
I tightened my grip on my sword.
‘Take out the two skeletons in front, and I can rush him straight away.’
Poised to lunge and slit his throat if it came to it.
Right then,
“I forfeit! Surrender! Hahaha!”
he threw both hands up high, laughing boisterously and rendering my plan moot.
“What the hell?”
“What do you mean? I surrender. Everyone, return.”
At his command, all his skeletons around me vanished into the ground like melting sleet.
No point attacking a guy who'd lost the will to fight.
“Then why start it?”
I slowly lowered my sword and asked. He replied, still chuckling.
“Hahaha! Call it a test. Who spills their powers to a stranger right off the bat? No one.”
“You did this just to probe my strength?”
“Why?”
What was his angle?
“I was looking for someone with your kind of guts.”
“To raid the dungeon I found. Together.”
Dungeon? If it needed a team…
“Recruiting for a dungeon? Hidden one, maybe?”
“Oh? Sharp as I thought. Yep. Hidden dungeon. Needs five to enter.”
Yeah, you couldn't drag just anyone into a hidden dungeon.
Unlike regular ones, no clue what lurked inside.
“You get it, right? Can't risk randos there. That's why I was scouting for my standards. People who don't crack under pressure.”
Made sense—you needed folks who could handle anything.
“A summoner fighting alongside a black skeleton? Super rare. Most hang back. So I tested if you're legit.”
Honestly, I got where he was coming from, somewhat.
‘If I'd found a hidden dungeon, I'd vet the five hard too.’
“And you didn't flinch even facing death. Made me think maybe that one's not your limit? So, wanna hit the hidden dungeon with me?”
He pitched it as straightforwardly as his laugh.
‘No lunatic would bother faking this.’
‘I know three hidden dungeons. Earliest opens in three years.’
No way he knew one.
So this was an unknown one.
“Sure. Let's go.”
Mine to claim.
“Hahaha! Love the instant shift in tone.”
“You like weird stuff.”
“You prioritize right. Name's Kim Tae-hyun.”
The man introducing himself as Kim Tae-hyun offered his hand.
A name I'd never heard in my past life.
‘Hidden dungeon rewards make you famous. Yet unknown?’
High chance he'd died trying the one we were headed to.
“Lee Han.”
I shook his hand.
Afterward, I asked right away.
“Got the other three?”
“Nah. You're the first, Lee Han-ssi. Hahaha! Three more to go—not easy.”
No small feat.
Tantamount to finding life-or-death comrades.
“Know any solid folks nearby? Hit me up anytime.”
Solid folks?
“Eh. None spring to mind.”
I didn't have anyone trustworthy yet.
“Gotcha. We're in it together now, so let's each scout and link up later for the hidden dungeon. It's in a tough spot—no one else'll snag it first, even if it takes time.”
Kim Tae-hyun pulled his phone from his pants pocket.
“Number?”
I punched mine into his phone, then handed over mine.
We swapped contacts.
“Gonna scout more.”
He pocketed his phone and waved goodbye.
“This is how you're finding people? Door-to-door?”
“Yep. Post online, and it's every scrub and their mom. Hahaha!”
Greedy types might even stalk him for the location.
“Understood. Later.”
“Yeah. Catch you.”
With that, Kim Tae-hyun headed off.
“What a whirlwind.”
Events had stormed by. Kinda worrisome.
He seemed as unhinged as most necromancers.
One nagging question.
‘That level and skill? Should be vanguard material. Why no name recognition?’
Maybe bit it in a hidden dungeon. Mid-thirties with full rewards? He'd be infamous either way.
But recruiting like this? Just draws types like me?
‘Hmm. Could be.’
Anyway. I glanced at Kkaebi—the hook for Kim Tae-hyun's interest.
‘Can't tweak Kkaebi's look?’
The black skeleton vibe drew too much attention. Pass.
‘Gear him up to hide the black bones?’
⚙ KKAEBI MESSAGE ⚙ Kkaebi asks if he's ugly. Had I said that aloud?
I was sure my mouth was shut.
“You read thoughts too?”
A message popped up instantly at my question.
⚙ KKAEBI MESSAGE ⚙ Kkaebi says it's only natural to read his master's thoughts. He had this ability too?
No summoner in my past-life crew, so I hadn't known the fine print.
‘Now that I think about it, Kim Tae-hyun didn't bark orders earlier either. Moved his summons with thoughts alone. Handy in a fight.’
Just the silent commands alone gave a huge edge—you could direct without the enemy overhearing.
Time to test.
Spotting five ghouls swarming, I mentally ordered Kkaebi.
‘Kkaebi. Start with the rightmost ghoul, work leftward. Methodical kills.’
Kkaebi triggered Wind Step and sliced the rightmost ghoul's neck as commanded.
Then one by one in sequence.
‘Perfect.’
Solid results.
“Time to level up again. Kkaebi. Got tests to run too…”
This chance, I'd field-test Acceleration for real. If it'd gone down with Kim Tae-hyun, that would've been the arena.
“Gotta be a ghoul swarm spot around here…”
With stamina past 60 and the S-rank passive Burning Vitality, I could push Acceleration decently now.
Even if I overloaded past the limit, Kkaebi was my safety net.
After wandering awhile, I finally found it.
Over thirty ghouls huddled tight.
“Alright, get me pumped. You experience piñatas.”
Acceleration's trigger: excitement. I forcibly shattered my usual calm.
“Grraaaagh!”
Smelling fresh meat, the ghouls barreled toward me.
I stepped forward into the death-stink rush, the world slowed to a crawl.
‘Been a while.’
Well, regressed now without Undying Lord, I couldn't wield it perfectly like before.
Slash!
Still, weaving ghoul swipes with precision and neck-chopping efficiently? No sweat.
Plus, steady stamina gains would stretch the uptime and dull the backlash.
“Grraaaaaahhh~”
I sheared the sluggishly thrusting arm of a ghoul with my slowed blade.
I slowed too, but normal-speed thinking? Godsend advantage.
I charged the endless slow-mo horde of thirty ghouls.
My sword flowed like water, trance-deep, lopping ghoul heads.
This life, I'd prep step by step from here.
And make Solomon kneel, no matter what.