32. Truce
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Truce
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Jeong Yoo-shin gripped his sword.
‘Neck and heart. Just protect those two.’
He knew he was outmatched.
He only had one option.
Trade flesh for bone.
He repeated this mantra in his mind as he glared at Karin.
Then Karin’s ears twitched.
“You’re lucky, barbarian.”
She sneered, taking a few steps back while loosening her grip on her daggers.
Her gaze shifted past him.
He also loosened his grip on his sword and took a few steps back.
He turned and looked towards the cave entrance.
Torchlight flickered in the distance.
Someone was approaching.
Judging by Karin’s lack of reaction, they weren’t enemies.
After a short wait, three people emerged from the cave.
Familiar faces.
Karin’s party members.
Gillian, spotting Karin, ran towards her.
“Karin!!”
“Is it just our party? Where are the others?”
“New monsters have appeared on the fourth level. The high-ranking explorer parties are holding them back, but it’s taking some time, so only Hans’ party and ours came down for now.”
“Really? What did the new monsters look like?”
“Like centipedes.”
“Is that all?”
“We didn’t have time to get a good look.”
“Tsk.”
Karin clicked her tongue and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.
He met her gaze.
‘What are you going to do, Karin?’
Would she use her party members to attack him?
Or would she bury the hatchet and move on?
Karin snorted and turned away.
She had chosen to postpone their conflict.
“It seems like Hans’ party was transported to a different area. Let’s go back to the city. We’ll meet them there.”
“Understood.”
Gillian replied and took the lead.
Jeong Yoo-shin picked up the packs and followed the party.
Lionel approached him and whispered,
“Everything alright?”
“Yes.”
He decided to put his conflict with Karin aside for now.
His goal had been achieved; the party had been reunited.
That was enough. For now.
He suppressed his emotions.
Karin’s sharp, aggressive demeanor had softened with the arrival of her party members.
She seemed more relaxed now that she wasn’t alone with him anymore.
Perhaps she had been feeling uneasy as well.
‘Just focus on the task at hand.’
He adjusted the packs and followed the party.
They left the open area and descended a slope.
As they went down, the city in the distance gradually disappeared from view, leaving only the towering city walls visible.
They reached the bottom of the slope. The city walls loomed in the distance.
Ahiman, walking next to him, muttered something in an unintelligible language.
His eyes were fixed on the city, and his face was flushed.
“Something amusing?”
Ahiman turned and looked at him.
His eyes were completely black.
“Umtahushi soryohumta.”
‘What the hell is he saying?’
“You’re happy? Okay.”
Lionel, who was walking in front of them, glanced back at Ahiman and said,
“Don’t mind him. Mystics do that sometimes.”
“Why?”
“They say it happens when their connection to the divine deepens. Their tongues get twisted when they’re filled with divine power. I don’t know the specifics though. Ask Ahiman later.”
“Okay.”
Ahiman continued to stare at him.
Having nothing to say, Jeong Yoo-shin just gave him a thumbs-up.
They walked across the barren land.
The city was farther away than it looked. It took them a long time to reach it.
The city walls drew closer, and they could see a gate.
After a while, they stood before the massive gate.
‘Wow. That’s huge.’
Jeong Yoo-shin’s jaw dropped at the sheer size of the gate.
It was so tall he had to crane his neck to see the top of it.
The metal gate was slightly ajar.
Gillian hesitated before entering.
Karin, who was behind her, asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing.”
Gillian brushed it off and entered the gate.
Inside, the city was filled with Gothic architecture.
Sharp, angular stone buildings.
Narrow alleyways snaked between the buildings like a spiderweb.
The city was quiet, and the main street was deserted.
“This is strange.”
Lionel muttered.
“What’s strange?”
“No goblins.”
Lionel’s face was grim.
“Let’s find a place to rest. We’ve been walking for too long.”
Karin said.
They entered an alleyway and found a small house.
The house was empty.
A thick layer of dust covered the tables and chairs. However, someone had recently used the fireplace as burnt logs were scattered around.
They tidied up the house and sat around the fireplace.
Jeong Yoo-shin unpacked his belongings and covered the windows with blankets.
“We’re not building a fire this time.”
Karin said.
He nodded and placed the torch Gillian had given him in the fireplace.
“Do you want me to cast the alarm spell?”
Ahiman asked, his voice sharp with a hint of excitement.
“Yes, but we still need someone on watch. Just in case.”
“Understood.”
They sat around the dimly lit fireplace and began to eat in silence.
Whether it was due to exhaustion, tension, or their own thoughts, no one spoke.
Jeong Yoo-shin rummaged through his bag and took out his food.
Jerky and biscuits. Dalmong’s gift.
He picked up a biscuit.
It was shaped differently.
‘A bear?’
Pfft!
Lionel suddenly spat out his food.
Everyone looked at him.
Lionel coughed a few times.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
They turned away and resumed eating.
Lionel suddenly started giggling.
Had he lost his mind? Laughing in this situation?
“It’s an unusual shape, but is it that funny?”
Lionel’s laughter stopped abruptly.
“Now that I think about it, it’s not that funny.”
A moment later, he started giggling again.
“What’s so funny? Tell me.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
‘Is he the Joker?’
A chill ran down his spine.
The atmosphere was strange.
Gillian was staring intently at the bear-shaped biscuit in his hand.
“Want one?”
He offered Gillian a biscuit.
“…Just one.”
Gillian snatched the biscuit.
Ahiman spoke.
“Inkariytu ahuyam.”
“Yes, here you go.”
He offered Ahiman a biscuit as well.
They seemed oddly unconcerned, to still be interested in bear-shaped biscuits in this situation.
Perhaps it was because they were intermediate-rank explorers.
Or perhaps they were confident that they would meet Hans’ party.
Did they assume Hans’ party would also be here, since they got transported to the fifth level as well?
He stopped thinking, popped a biscuit into his mouth, and chewed.
It was sweet. Dalmong must have added a lot of honey.
He glanced at Karin.
She was staring at the floor, lost in thought.
“Karin-nim, would you like one?”
He offered her a biscuit.
“No.”
Karin looked up and coldly refused.
‘She’s really angry.’
He didn’t think he had said anything wrong, but she seemed to have taken it as a blow to her pride.
He decided to be the bigger person and extend an olive branch.
He licked the bear-shaped biscuit and said,
“It’s sweet. Are you sure you don’t want one?”
Karin glanced at his tongue.
Her face flushed slightly.
Why was she being so lenient with him?
They had been glaring at each other just a few hours ago.
But the sight of his tongue calmed her down.
His scent was also different from the others.
Familiar and comforting.
And… arousing.
She suspected there was some kind of trickery involved.
Perhaps an imprint?
Her expression hardened.
‘Imprint or not, I won’t lose. I’m the daughter of the Beast-person Alliance representative. I’ll overcome this.’
She steeled her resolve.
“Give it to me.”
She snatched the biscuit from his hand and put it in her mouth.
‘I licked that.’
He turned his head.
Lionel was staring at him.
“Want one?”
“No, I don’t like sweet things.”
They finished their meal.
They drew lots to decide on the watch order.
Finally, the alarm spell.
Ahiman closed his eyes and began chanting.
Strange words flowed from his lips.
Gillian still frowned and trembled.
Jeong Yoo-shin closed his eyes.
He could hear a scratching sound in his head, but it was bearable now.
Ahiman finished his chant and opened his eyes.
“Done.”
Jeong Yoo-shin wrapped himself in his robe and laid down. The wooden floor smelled musty, but it wasn’t damp or cold.
‘Not bad.’
He closed his eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
He woke up to a rustling sound.
The other party members were packing their belongings.
Their faces were haggard.
They had laughed and joked yesterday, but as they laid down to sleep, anxiety and fear had crept in, tightening their grip on their hearts.
They had passed through a black portal, something they had never seen before.
They then arrived safely on the fifth level, but it felt different somehow.
The heavy, silent atmosphere of the underground city set off alarm bells in their minds.
They had all tossed and turned, their sleep fitful.
They packed their belongings with bloodshot eyes, sat around the fireplace, and ate.
Lionel spoke, his voice raspy.
“Shouldn’t we consider other options?”
“The transfer stone in the central district is the fastest route.”
Karin replied.
“We still need a backup plan. It’s not the only transfer stone here.”
There were three transfer stones on the fifth level.
The one in the central district led to the “Corridor” area.
If you crossed the city and reached the other side, there was another transfer stone that led to the “Forest” area.
And finally, if you descended into the city’s underground, there was a transfer stone that led to the “Sewers” area.
Each area was governed by different “laws.”
The nearest transfer stone was in the central district. But Lionel was suggesting a different route.
“Where do you want to go?”
“The ‘Forest’ area isn’t a bad option. If we can quietly bypass the city, we can safely reach the next level.”
Gillian interjected,
“Lionel, have you forgotten? We’re an investigation team following the orders of the guild and the council. We have a duty to find out what’s happening in this creepy city.”
Ahiman nodded in agreement.
“Gillian is right. Karin, Lionel, don’t forget our objective. Speed isn’t everything.”
Karin frowned, looking back and forth between Gillian and Ahiman.
“Do you sense something? Tell me.”
Gillian fiddled with their helmet.
“I sensed a power similar to the mystic’s magic.”
Ahiman agreed.
“It’s different, but it’s definitely an otherworldly power.”
Karin sighed.
“Alright. Then we’ll explore the city slowly and see what we can find. Is everyone ready?”
The party members nodded.
They left the rest area and stepped out into the street.
The dark and desolate street was silent.
They wandered for hours, but they didn’t encounter anything unusual.
They spent an entire day exploring the southern district of the city.
They found nothing.
They couldn’t find Hans’ party either.
They then found a rest area.
They tossed and turned for a few hours, then ventured out again.
Except for Ahiman, their faces grew grimmer with each passing hour.
It wasn’t unusual for goblins to appear in the central area streets of the city.
Many explorers frequented the area. But it was the first time that they hadn’t seen a single one.
“It’s too quiet.”
No one responded to Karin’s comment, but they all agreed.
The eerie silence continued as they reached the central district, growing heavier with each step.
‘This is bad.’
A drop of cold sweat trickled down Jeong Yoo-shin’s neck.
He had a bad feeling.
‘Is something big about to happen? Oh, please no.’
He knew it was dangerous. But he had chosen to join the investigation team as a porter.
Why?
‘How could I resist a gold coin?’
He also wanted to know what was happening in the labyrinth.
He trusted the strength of the intermediate-rank explorers.
And their experience in exploring the unknown.
He had weighed the risks and made his decision.
He assumed that with high-ranking explorer parties involved, he would at least survive. But things weren’t going as planned.
His careful calculations had gone awry the moment they were swallowed by the black portal.
They arrived at a large plaza.
The central plaza.
A statue with a damaged upper body stood in the middle.
Hundreds of people and goblins were gathered around the statue, looking up at the ceiling of the cavern.
The missing explorers.
The absent goblins.
They were all here.
‘Oh.’
He didn’t know what was happening, but he was sure of one thing.
‘We’re fucked.’
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T/N - That’s creepy…