6. Dungeon Agales
Several days after entering Dungeon Agales. We blazed through to the end at a relentless pace. The swampy wetlands, the pitch-black caves, and the occasional muck pits that sucked at our feet posed some annoyances, but nothing that slowed us down much. We made it to the deepest part without a hitch. Along the way, we collected nine more coin-sized magic stones...
The magic stone is too small.
...but the verdict was that they were too tiny to unlock new abilities or strengthen existing ones. A shame, but nothing for it—we'd just sell them for cash. Cheong-ah was handling the money from now on, but converting those stones to gold coins would still net us a tidy sum. A few crumbs off the table, at least? With some coin, we could snag new magic tools... ahem. Anyway, no more upgrades? Truly a pity.
"...Honey, you're really bummed about that?"
"Of course I'm bummed. Stronger abilities benefit me and you all. Right?"
"Bullshit. That face of yours screams ulterior motives."
"Hey, what the—? If anyone's grinning like they can't wait to hit the tavern, it's you, Bella."
"What? It shows?"
"Hah... Fine, if it's you two, we'll use the proceeds for party funds. Don't even dream otherwise."
At the dungeon's end, a massive iron door awaited us. Bella strode up first, greatsword slung over her shoulder, and shoved with all her might. No give. Pouting like her pride was bruised, she rapped on it with her knuckles.
"Whoa, what the hell? It won't budge."
"Beats me... I'd get Yuldo stuff, but this? No clue."
"Hmm. Me neither."
The door bore a carving of an old man—but only from the waist up, with a crocodile's body below instead of legs. Not quite a centaur; more like the croc's head and torso intact, with a ragged elder's upper half grafted on top. And perched on the old man's shoulder? Some kind of bird. What the hell was this thing? A bipedal croc might be a honkcroco or whatever, but a croc with an old man's torso, and that guy with a bird on his shoulder? No clue.
I shook my head in defeat, and Bella snickered, slapping my shoulder.
"Heh heh. Ian, you know nothing, huh?"
"Hey, screw you. You don't know either."
She shrugged with shameless bravado. "Yeah, but I'm strong. Strength means the peons handle the trivia. So figure it out, you lowly scrub."
"Goddamn it. Gimme back that arm so I can repossess it."
"Nuh-uh! Try and take it!"
She bolted, teasing me the whole way. It'd vanish tomorrow anyway—why bother chasing? But her taunting fired me up all over again.
"Why wouldn't I catch you, you slow-ass turtle bitch? This big sis is rabbit-quick! Think a sluggish fucker like you can even perform at night?!"
"Argh, hold it right there!"
I could stomach a lot, but not trash-talk on my bedroom skills. We dashed around the dungeon chamber, chasing and evading, until Cheong-ah's sharp call cut through.
"Honey! Bella! Over here!"
"Huh...? What?"
"What's up? Something wrong?"
We hurried to her urgent summons. She pointed to engraved script at the door's base. Cheong-ah and Bella scratched their heads, clueless.
"This. Some kinda writing... I only know Yuldo script."
"What is it? Not even Common? I only know Common."
Sandwiched between them, I peered at the letters—and could read them.
"...I can read it."
"Huh? You? How?!"
"Dunno... Weird, right?"
Why could I? I could barely handle Continental Common, studying with Cheong-ah lately. This wasn't Hangul, Hanja, English, or local script. Just twisty pictograms, like crude drawings. How?
Bella gawked. "No shit, Sherlock. If you don't know, who does?"
"Then quit bitching if I say I don't! Move, lemme read."
I shoved Bella aside and scanned it.
Agales.
Immoral speech, vulgar one. Name of obscenity.
Ignores the dignity of life, mocks the ethics of existence.
Dares to insult the divine, profanes sacred language.
Agales.
The words twisted dread in my gut.
Thump-thump. My heart raced. Sweat slicked my palms amid inexplicable tension. I hesitated, yet my mouth pressed on, unhalting.
At the end: "...Agales."
Rumble-rumble-roooar.
The iron door ground open, revealing an empty void within. Unlike our muddy swamp, this was a vast, hollow cavern. At its far end loomed a colossal statue: crocodile body big enough to swallow a man whole, matching elder's torso atop it, massive bird on the shoulder. Not just any bird—an eagle? No, a hawk? Sleeker, fiercer than an eagle, razor-sharp even in stone. The sheer presence crushed us, statue or not.
The boss room, no doubt. But only emptiness and that statue.
Unease prickled as I hesitated—then Bella slipped through the gap.
"Hey!"
She shrugged it off. "Door's open. Why not go in?"
"Bella, wait...!"
"It's open. We gotta enter anyway—what's with the dawdling?"
"Still...!"
The door began reversing. Bella would be trapped alone. Cheong-ah and I lunged inside just in time.
Bella blinked. "What? Why'd it close?"
"You idiot!"
I stormed up, fury boiling over. She looked bored. "Why yell? 'Cause I went first? We had to come in anyway."
"Ugh... We could've scouted more. Traps, maybe?"
She winced. "Yeah... My bad. Sorry."
"Please... No more reckless shit, okay?"
"Got it. I'll be careful."
She nodded—and the ground quaked. Like an earthquake. Groooan, the cavern thrummed with something massive stirring.
"Wh-what...?"
"The hell?"
While we panicked, Cheong-ah—ever vigilant, sword gripped tight—stared at the statue and murmured.
"...Honey. Bella."
"What?"
"Yeah?"
"Come here."
"What’s comi—"
The "statue" lurched to life. Correction: what had been a statue. Rumble. Gray stone facade vanished, replaced by the living horror: croc, elder torso, hawk fused as one.
"EHAHAHAHAHA!!"
The elder's mad cackle shook the cavern. He howled like a lunatic, then cut off abruptly. The air turned ice-cold. Grinning wickedly, he fixed his gaze on us.