Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Ancient Desert (1)
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It was a repeating daily routine.
Every day, there was the hour-long special lecture from Old Man Mansul.
I also took on light jobs at the mercenary guild, 'Troubleshooters,' from time to time.
The rest of the time, I reviewed what I'd learned.
Not a single day off.
To me, who had shown steady effort over three years.
To me, who was just now starting to grow strong.
Laziness was a luxury.
"Dong-hoon?"
That was when Gi So-yul approached me while I was doing strength training in the clearing.
"Hoo, haaah... Yes. What is it?"
"I have something to say."
She replied with an expression that said, [Of course I do, that's why I called you.]
"Something to say?"
"We had a promise, right? That I'd protect you from ambushes until you grew stronger."
"...That's true. Though I never imagined it'd mean watching me 24 hours a day."
At my words, Gi So-yul's head tilted to the left.
"Hmm? That's a bit of a strange thing to say. How can I protect you if I'm not guarding you 24 hours?"
Huh?
That's true too?
I scratched my head.
"Still, you're a ranker, Agent. You have to go to dungeons and handle guild matters."
"That's actually why I'm telling you."
Gi So-yul nodded in affirmation.
"It's been two weeks now since I started guarding you. No matter how much I've neglected guild activities, there are still things I have to handle once in a while."
Fair enough. Someone of Agent's caliber can't stay by my side all the time.
I'd realized that.
She has her own life too.
"I get it. You're busy too, Agent."
"So I have a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. The time I need to handle my backlog... it's about six hours. So I'll have to step away during that time... and you have two options."
As expected of Gi So-yul.
Impressive.
Most rankers would find a way to wriggle out of a promise with a low-grade hunter like me.
But she didn't break it.
She found an alternative.
Just like I hadn't lied to her.
She was clearly trying to keep the trust.
"What are they?"
"First, follow me around for those six hours."
"Oh."
Not a bad option.
The safest place for me right now is by her side.
Training? I do it all the time anyway.
Honestly, a little break wouldn't hurt.
"And the second?"
"While I'm handling business, use that."
"That?"
What 'that'?
I tilted my head, and Gi So-yul chuckled softly.
"The key. The catalyst we got back then."
"Oh?"
Right.
That existed.
I'd forgotten.
The B-rank key from the dungeon reward: Traces of the Ancient Desert.
[Item: Traces of the Ancient Desert]
[Grade: B]
[Type: Catalyst]
[Description: A key that can uncover the secrets of a hidden ruin.]
[Effect 1: Can open the dungeon 'Ancient Desert.']
[Effect 2: Item bound to Hunter 'Joo Dong-hoon.']
"Catalysts are bound items. Meaning it's a solo dungeon. If you go in there, it might actually be safer than staying by my side. Even rankers can't interfere."
True.
Assuming a ranker higher than Gi So-yul shows up.
The inside of a dungeon could be safer than her side.
The problem is.
My skeletons are still D-grade.
"Hmm, but it's B-grade... Wouldn't it be more dangerous inside?"
"Who knows."
Gi So-yul didn't agree.
"You tend not to realize how much you've improved, Dong-hoon. Why not go in and check it out this time? From what I've seen, you should be able to clear it."
"Ah..."
Her words left me gaping blankly.
What?
Did I just get praised by a ranker?
No, acknowledged for my growth?
'A fresh feeling.'
It was an emotion I'd never felt before.
No one had ever acknowledged an E-grade mercenary washout like me.
'My self-esteem was pretty low.'
I admitted it.
As a freak necromancer.
The life where I envied my rival Dark Lord was incredibly petty.
"......"
It felt like something hot was welling up from the center of my chest.
Like all the pain and effort I'd endured was finally getting a little reward?
Of course, being acknowledged feels good.
'But.'
Gi So-yul wasn't just anyone.
She was a ranker.
Someone who had elevated her accomplishments to pro level through countless experiences and efforts.
The pinnacle in hunting monsters and exploring dungeons.
'Alright.'
My fist clenched tight.
I wanted to savor this moment fully.
Another thought came too.
'Even getting acknowledged by just Gi So-yul feels this good.'
What would it feel like to stand on the same level as her?
Even better.
If all 999 rankers acknowledged me?
'Ahh.'
A shiver ran through my deepest heart.
I know it's a realistically impossible dream.
Yet I wanted to dream it.
I wanted to live for that dream.
"That sounds like a solid plan."
My motivation blazed.
Truth be told, I'd wanted to hit a dungeon for a while.
But right now, joining one would just expose me to the association or media.
So I hadn't.
Showing myself before I was fully strong would just make me a target for the wicked.
Especially for someone like me—a fresh meal for that horrific terrorist group, the Shadow Syndicate!
In this savage world, what I needed was one thing.
A dungeon just for me.
Gi So-yul nodded.
"Even if you're worried about the difficulty, you have the skill to escape if it gets dangerous."
"Yeah, that's true."
I nodded.
Unless it was a special case like that last 'unrated dungeon,'
Dungeons are generally open to entry and exit.
"Then we'll go with the second option."
"I figured you'd say that, Dong-hoon. Ready to head in right now?"
"Why dawdle? Training's done for the morning anyway."
Quite some time had passed.
My energy, used during training, was fully recovered.
"Then infuse some energy into the key to activate it. The dungeon should appear."
Gi So-yul smiled.
As if my flushed, determined face was adorable.
Wooong!
Activating the key brought up a message.
[Would you like to activate 'Traces of the Ancient Desert'?]
[Can open the dungeon 'Ancient Desert.']
[Warning!]
[This is a solo dungeon.]
I exchanged glances with Gi So-yul, and she nodded.
Meaning, come back safe.
'Alright, screw it. Let's do this.'
I stared at the gleaming golden key.
Another 'opportunity' that all rankers were burning with desire to find—a catalyst.
If I could grow even stronger through this?
'No backing out.'
Flash!
A blinding light filled my vision.
* * *[Entering special dungeon.]
"Hmm?"
When I opened my eyes again, I was in the middle of a desert.
Similar to the previous dungeon, but with one slight difference.
'A pyramid?'
A massive square-pyramid brick structure filled my view?
[Entered 'Ancient Desert.']
[Discovered 'Pyramid.']
My heart raced at the following messages.
A pyramid in ancient ruins.
How many strong monsters and traps lurked inside?
What rewards awaited?
Tension mixed with anticipation.
No need to shrink back because it's B-grade.
A ranker like Gi So-yul said it's possible, so I'll trust that.
Whoosh!
First, I swung my staff to summon the bones.
[Using skill 'Awakened Skeleton Summon' (D-grade).]
From Bone One to Bone Five.
They were sharply honed through tough training.
'No need to rush.'
Slowly, very slowly.
Carefully pushing forward.
I started crossing the sand desert, crunch crunch.
Direction: the main entrance at the pyramid's base.
From the looks of it, that's where the dungeon interior is.
"Maintain formation, everyone."
Clack!
At my command, the skeletons nodded in unison.
As D-grades, we were utter weaklings in this B-grade place.
'Weaklings have to fight like weaklings.'
To clear the dungeon safely, we fight as efficiently as possible through formation.
If I got cocky and charged blindly, I could waste my lifeblood energy pointlessly.
Creaaak!
As we approached the door, the massive brick door opened automatically.
That was when.
[Ding!]
[Detected correlation between this dungeon and Hunter Joo Dong-hoon's class.]
'Hmm?'
I halted briefly.
An ominous energy rippled.
[Warning!]
[The dungeon is transforming.]
[Cannot exit the dungeon.]
"Wait?"
I realized something was wrong, but it was too late.
Whoosh!
A massive wind swirled before me, yanking my body hard.
I was sucked helplessly into the pyramid's depths.
Behind me.
Ssshh... Boom!
Only the sound of the door closing.
* * *The pyramid's interior was pitch black.
No light, nothing visible.
"What is this?"
I muttered.
I'd come in all confident, and this happens?
A chill ran down my spine, unease creeping in.
But.
I couldn't just sit still.
This was a dungeon.
A place where you survive by flexibly handling the unexpected.
"Bone Three."
Clack clack!
Lucky.
Hearing the teeth chatter meant the bones had been sucked in safely too.
"Scout the surroundings first."
Clack clack!
An affirmative sound.
['Bone Three' uses skill, Field of View (Lv.6).]
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
Bone Three drew his bowstring four times in the air.
Glowing arrows fired in all directions.
Two arrows shot endlessly forward and backward.
The other two bounced side to side, checking up and down.
'Like a long corridor, roughly.'
I closed my eyes.
Sharing Bone Three's vision through sensation.
After a few seconds.
'What.'
My body jerked.
I couldn't help but be shocked.
'Is this for real?'
Straight ahead, a vast open space appeared.
Unlike the dark here, a wide area with fires blazing.
That was fine.
'But... this...'
It was absurd.
The open space was filled with countless skeleton soldiers.
Not one or two...
Not even dozens.
'About a hundred...?'
[Discovered stage 'Sun Spear's Guard.']
Damn?
[Ding!]
[Stage: Sun Spear's Guard]
[Deep in the pyramid sleeps 'Sun Spear,' warrior and absolute ruler who led the ancient desert empire.]
[Break through the intruders and reach 'Sun Spear.']
Sun Spear?
What the hell?
As I frowned in confusion.
Pababat!
The corridor's lanterns lit up.
And simultaneously.
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[Ancient Skeleton Spearmen (D-grade) x 100 incoming!]
Crazy, really a hundred D-grades?
I only have five?
It was a hopeless situation.