Chapter 53: Entry
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 53: Entry
After the humans left, I decided to wait for Black Spear at the temporary camp we had set up. Gark, who had arrived ahead of me, had already informed me that Black Spear would be coming here himself.
“Krrrrk. Black Spear said he is coming. Chieftain.”
“Well done, Gark.”
I gave him a slight raise of my hand. With a look of deep emotion, Gark struck his chest with his fist and spoke.
“For Blood Dagger.”
I simply nodded in response. A day later, I saw Black Spear making his way over in person. He was accompanied by two other Trolls, as he likely couldn't afford to pull more warriors from his village.
I understood that they had to constantly hunt magical beasts to feed their clan, but it was still a little disappointing.
“Strength, Wisdom, and Honor.”
“Strength, Wisdom, and Honor.”
“I’ve heard the gist of it from the valiant Orc warrior, Gark. Blood Dagger.”
I had been a little worried, but it seemed Gark had managed to convey my message properly. He might be naive, but he wasn't stupid.
“Is it true that you can solve the problem the Black Spear Clan is facing?”
His expression was full of doubt. Of course, he would be skeptical. But I answered him firmly.
“It is, Black Spear.”
“Just a few days ago, I recall hearing that we needed to fatten the human village… I’m confused.”
“Krrrrk, Black Spear.”
“...?”
“What must you do to fatten a Giant Wolf?”
“You must feed it.”
“It is the same for the human village. We can easily fatten it for them.”
Though my words were simple, his face lit up with understanding. It was a look very similar to the one Mev gave me—a look of, for lack of a better word, reverence.
“You truly are wise, Blood Dagger. But how can we possibly fatten a human village?”
“I will explain that in due time. So, what will you do? Will you not hunt with us for a short while?”
He didn't even need to think about it. The offer to restore his village after just a few days of hardship was an irresistible temptation.
If I were in his position, I would have certainly accepted my proposal. And this Troll, who was already looking at me with respect, would surely accept. As if to prove my prediction right, he gave a firm nod.
“I ask this of you, Blood Dagger. I will trust in you alone.”
Bingo.
What I saw in Black Spear’s eyes was unmistakable trust. He immediately sent one of the Trolls who had come with him back to their village, likely to take charge while he was away.
I had gained a truly powerful ally.
The enemy was stronger than I had anticipated, and I had been worried. But with him by my side, there was no need for concern. Black Spear and I clasped hands, and another five days passed.
While I was catching up on sleep, Mev came to wake me.
“Chieftain! Chieftain!”
“Krrrrk.”
I opened my eyes abruptly to find Mev’s face right next to mine.
“They’ve come.”
“That’s right. The humans are back. Just like you said, Chieftain, their bags are bigger this time. Two human females were carrying huge bags.”
The “human females” Mev mentioned had to be their squires. I hurried outside and saw Black Spear slowly emerging as well. Gark and the other clan members were all waiting for my command. Looking at them, I slowly opened my mouth.
“We will enter after the humans go into the dungeon. Krrrrk.”
They all nodded without a word. Just like last time, the magician began to chant, summoning a fierce wind that swept away the desert sand, revealing the Ancient Warrior's Grave once more. According to the guide I’d read, their clear time was about ten days. As it was a large dungeon, the bags the squires carried looked even heavier.
A strong warrior could have easily carried them, but the fact that they made their squires do it told me these humans were undoubtedly caught up in a sense of privilege.
It wasn't surprising. When a powerless human from Earth comes to this world and gains strength they can't handle, they naturally want to be compensated. They want to be rewarded for the hardships they endured to become strong, for the life on Earth where no one recognized them, by making squires or slaves serve them.
I glanced over at Black Spear.
His eyes were bloodshot, having likely sized up the humans’ strength. He clearly wanted to fight. However, patience was far more important than his fighting spirit for this hunt. I looked at him and spoke.
“Black Spear, I know you may not like it, but I need you to follow my lead during this hunt.”
“Of course, Blood Dagger. I am in your debt; I cannot run wild.”
“Thank you, Black Spear.”
I was indebted to him as well, but I was relieved that he was a reasonable person. We watched as the humans made their way into the dungeon. It was a bit of a shame that they covered the entrance with sand again. They probably didn't want anyone to know they had entered this dungeon.
About three hours later.
The Blood Dagger Clan and Black Spear slowly began to move.
“Can we really fatten the human village this way?”
“Yes, Black Spear. Just as a strong enemy can gather many Green Skins, humans are obsessed with places like this.”
“I see.”
It seemed his faith had wavered while waiting. He would be applauding me on his own once this was all over, so I decided not to state the obvious. We slowly approached the entrance and began to dig away the sand again.
It was a pity we didn't have shovels, but Jung Hayeon, the clan's only magician, raised plants to clear away some of the sand, allowing us to uncover the entrance in a relatively short time.
The two giant warrior statues were as breathtaking as ever. I had lived on the continent for ten years in my past life, but I had never seen such an impressive dungeon entrance. Back then, even if I had discovered a dungeon, I wouldn't have been able to clear it. Still, I could have sold the information for a decent sum of gold, so I had always hoped to find one. Seeing this massive, perfectly preserved dungeon before my eyes stirred something new within me.
“We’re going in. Krrrrrk.”
“For Blood Dagger. For victory. Only for victory.”
Since this wasn't a battle of brute force against brute force, their response wasn't as fiery as usual. But the desire shimmering in their eyes was real. We slowly began to enter.
As soon as we were inside, I smelled danger. The undead probably hadn't even been fully cleared out yet, but the scent lingering in the air told me this was definitely a dangerous dungeon. Black Spear seemed to feel the same thing I did, as he kept nodding his head.
“Indeed… I can see why they like places like this, Blood Dagger. No true warrior could dislike such a place.”
“................”
In truth, what humans wanted wasn't the atmosphere but the spoils hidden within, but it seemed easier to let him misunderstand.
“This is good…”
He wasn't the only one who was pleased. The other clan members also wore pleasant smiles as they sensed the dangerous aroma.
“We must not forget our objective.”
“Kkireuk. Kkireuk. For Blood Dagger.”
After saying a word to them, I discreetly looked toward Mev. The most crucial part of this operation was, of course, Mev and the archers who could read tracks. I had told her in advance, so Mev slowly began to survey our surroundings.
It was cleaner than I expected, but I could still spot the occasional insect or spiderweb. Being underground, it also felt a bit damp. That was all I could see, but I was sure Mev was seeing something different.
“Hmm.”
“Thankfully, it looks like they didn't erase their tracks. They probably thought it was fine to just leave since they blocked the entrance… which makes things a little easier for me!”
“Good. Krrrrrk.”
“This way. It seems like some time has passed since they left this area, so we can relax a little.”
“How far ahead do you think they are?”
“I’m not exactly sure… but they’re definitely a bit far.”
“Well done.”
It seemed Mev couldn't yet gauge the exact distance. She might be able to read it more accurately if she advanced from a Fairy Sprite Archer to an Intermediate or Advanced Archer, but I was grateful enough that she could find the tracks and guide us. The clan members and Black Spear slowly began to move forward.
Since safety is the top priority in a dungeon raid, it was obvious the humans would be resting intermittently as they moved. We did the same, taking breaks as we followed their trail.
And then, we finally found the traces of the first battle.
There were undead clad in armor with what looked to be high-quality engravings. The only problem was that the armor was dented all over, likely from a fierce battle. Some pieces of armor were even completely severed. Dressed in black armor, they looked like they could have been called Dark Knights.
The scars on the walls and the severed heads of the undead seemed to explain that this battle had not been easy. But there were no casualties in this fight.
I wasn't as good as Mev, but I could still read the signs of a battle like this.
These heads weren't cut off by a sword. These undead were not slain by a sword.
“It looks like magic, right?”
But an expert's opinion was more important, of course. I waited for Mev to speak, and soon she opened her mouth with her characteristically bright voice.
“Yeah. The cuts are incredibly sharp. A high-level swordsman could probably do this, but seeing the faint traces of magic left in the area, it must be…”
It was definitely the high-level magician we saw earlier. He seemed to specialize in wind magic. It looked like the warriors held the front line while the magician finished them off in an instant with magic.
Seeing the faint footprints at the location where the magic was likely cast from, he must have known the undead wouldn't reach him. He trusted his party members.
That wasn't all. The arrows embedded in some of them had pierced through their armor, which meant their archer was also well above average. I gently pulled out an arrow and, sure enough, there were faint traces of magic on the arrowhead.
“Their archers seem strong, too.”
Mev nodded in agreement. I had no choice but to quietly call Black Spear over to my side. When the battle began, that magician had to be the number one priority. Black Spear, who seemed to fight by throwing his spear, would be the first one to keep him in check. If, by some chance, Black Spear wasn't enough, Gark, who had recently acquired the unique ability ‘Wind Walk,’ would also have to target him.
The one who looked like the leader seemed quite strong, but the remaining traces were clearly telling us to be wary of the magician.
“Black Spear. This human magician is your responsibility.”
“I look forward to it.”
He nodded with a bright face, as if he truly was looking forward to it. If that magician was still alive by the time they dealt with the dungeon boss, he would not be able to escape Black Spear's spear.
It was while Mev and I were busy analyzing the tracks.
We began to hear the sound of a presence from somewhere. In an instant, the clan members and Black Spear tensed up. I, of course, drew my greatsword. I was extremely worried that they might have noticed we were tailing them.
Dammit…