Preparing for the Expedition
Sion asked, “Jangcheok ajussi. You know that thing.”
“What?”
“If we’re going into the Ant Cave, who’s going to be the guide?”
That was an important question. The guide decided the party’s direction and had to spot threats in the dungeon ahead of time. That was why Dungeon Seekers, the ultimate guides, were always in high demand. Having a Dungeon Seeker handle navigation was ideal, but if none were available, you could make do by handing a map to someone with the High Education trait. It wasn’t as effective as a real Dungeon Seeker, but it was better than nothing.
Jangcheok looked at me, and Sion followed his gaze. They’d probably slotted me in for exactly this kind of role.
“I’ll do it.”
The High Education trait existed for moments like this. Guide duty. I’d never done it before, but it should be fine.
Sion, however, looked deeply unconvinced.
“A Necromancer as the guide?”
What was wrong with a Necromancer doing it?
“Do we really have to?” Sion glanced around as if to say, Isn’t that obvious? Jangcheok crossed his arms, and Roa lowered her head. From their perspective, Sion had a point. There was no real need to bring a Necromancer along. The three of them could divide the roles among themselves. They could easily swap the Necromancer slot for a Dungeon Seeker instead.
But then I’d be the one left out in the cold. I understood the situation now. No one else was going to vouch for me. It was obvious I was the most expendable member here. Still, I wasn’t about to say, “Ah, you’re right. I’m not needed. Haha,” and step aside. I had to look out for my own rice bowl.
“Got a problem with that?” I said, meeting Sion’s eyes directly. His head was shaved like a soldier’s, and his pale skin gave him the look of a Russian skinhead. Sion studied my expression for a moment, then grinned.
“No, it’s not that there’s a problem. It’s just… the Ant Cave isn’t some tiny dungeon. Wouldn’t it be easier to navigate with a Dungeon Seeker instead of a Necromancer?”
“We’re following a map anyway.”
“True, but still…”
Suddenly, Sion leaned forward, bringing his face closer.
“The real question is why we have to go into a dungeon with a Necromancer at all. I’d rather bring an Alchemist.”
Hah. Sure. That could happen. Necromancers got treated like garbage sometimes. It wasn’t the first time I’d dealt with this. But still, it pissed me off.
“Why bring a Necromancer, huh?”
If he wanted to play it like this, I had a response. Where did I put it… Ah, here. I pulled the Bronze Badge from my pocket and tossed it onto the map. Everyone’s eyes turned to my rank insignia.
A Bronze Badge proving I was a Rank 4 explorer.
“How many dungeons have you cleared while looking for another guide right in front of a Necromancer?”
Once again, Dungeon Overseer was a roguelike. Anyone who played by rigidly following predetermined builds would never survive the early game. What mattered in a dungeon was adaptability and quick thinking. The priority was throwing every available resource at the crisis in front of you. Theorycrafting came later.
The moment Sion started dictating who should take which role, he’d proven he was an inexperienced explorer. People who’d spent real time in dungeons didn’t waste energy on that kind of nonsense. If he hated Necromancers, he should’ve questioned the Necromancer’s actual abilities, not their qualifications as a guide. That was the angle I went for.
“From the looks of it, you’ve never even run a dungeon with a Necromancer before. Never had anyone but a Dungeon Seeker guide you either, right?”
They’d seen my badge. Bronze rank meant I wasn’t a complete rookie. The other side backed down. Sion slowly leaned back against his chair and pretended to look elsewhere.
“Hahaha. No, I just heard rumors about some weird Necromancer among the Copper ranks. Apparently he’s got such terrible luck that every party he joins ends up wiped out. Never heard that? You’d think another Necromancer would know. I was just checking, just in case. Necromancer as guide. Sure, why not.”
…Shit. That was me. That bastard. He looked like some white supremacist, but his instincts were sharp. He’d just been trying to protect the party from an unlucky Necromancer. Well, the attempt was admirable. Too bad he was too late.
I seized the opening as Sion retreated and pressed forward. Sion probably sat around Level 1 or 2—Copper rank. Low-level explorers were always drowning in anxiety. They were weak enough that dying at any moment wouldn’t be surprising.
Unlike Sion, who clearly distrusted me, Jangcheok radiated confidence from every pore. That kind of ease… I envied it. Arguing with Sion wouldn’t get me anywhere. I changed targets immediately.
“Supervisor Gawin recommended me, but the atmosphere here isn’t great.”
Jangcheok had asked earlier if Gawin sent me. They clearly knew each other. When I voiced my displeasure, Jangcheok finally stepped in.
“Sion here just joined and doesn’t know how things work yet. He’s only been an explorer for about six months. As his senior, you should cut him some slack.”
As expected, mentioning Supervisor Gawin got a reaction.
“Even so, teaming up with a Necromancer who’s never even been in a dungeon…”
“Haha. Enough of that talk. You already came with a recommendation letter anyway. I’m asking as a favor. Sion. Apologize to Hajun.”
Sion scratched his head while Jangcheok cleared his throat. His usual neighborhood-ajussi face looked intimidating when he went serious—like a neighborhood gangster.
“Think about it. Would Supervisor Gawin recommend some unlucky Necromancer who got all his teammates killed and came back alone? Hajun is nothing like those filthy Necromancers! Do you know what that guy’s nickname was? The Necromancer Who Summons Death! The Necromancer Who Summons Death!”
Jangcheok shuddered violently, as if just imagining the Necromancer Who Summons Death was enough to make his skin crawl. Good grief. How could someone that unlucky even be an explorer?
Sion stopped doubting me after seeing Jangcheok’s intense reaction. He really had just been anxious about forming a party with a Necromancer. Sion gave an awkward smile and apologized.
“I overreacted. I said too much. Sorry for making you uncomfortable.”
Well, as long as the misunderstanding was cleared up now. Though there was one small inaccuracy…
It wasn’t unnecessary worry. That unlucky Necromancer really was me. Sometimes ignorance was bliss.
“So there’s no problem, right?”
I just needed to make money. Jangcheok threatened to call the supervisor and slap us with fines if we kept bickering. I had no desire to argue either.
Once the conversation settled, Jangcheok started assigning tasks.
“Alright then.”
First, someone to read the map and find the way inside the Ant Cave. The guide was me.
“Hajun. You’ll be our guide. You can handle that, right?”
“Of course.”
Heh. In the end, this cushy spot was mine. Guide duty. Remembering what Somi used to do, I knew exactly how much of a free ride this position was. I’d leave the fighting to the people who enjoyed it. I just needed to do what I was good at.
“While we’re at it, let’s handle the ruin investigation too.”
“Ruins?”
“Yeah. It’s a request from the Dungeon Seeker Guild. According to their investigation, the Ant Cave overlaps with the ruins of an ancient kingdom. It got buried underground, and the ants dug their tunnels through it. They’ll pay if we submit the listed evidence. Worth doing.”
Hmm. Ruin investigation. Just like last time, there were side quests. I’d probably have to handle that too.
“I can take care of that as well.”
“Good. I’m counting on you.”
To summarize: the main objective was finding the lost gem, which could be recovered from a buried carriage inside the dungeon. If time allowed, investigate the ruins. Since I knew what they’d want, I should prepare to collect stone fragments.
“Then the rest…”
Jangcheok gave Sion and Roa their own instructions—mostly about supplies and what to watch out for in the Ant Cave. Probably all orders from the supervisor.
“We should bring more food than that.”
“Huh?”
“There’s a chance the paths are tangled, so we’ll need to make multiple trips. Let’s pack an extra three days’ worth as backup.”
“More food? Then the budget…”
“We can cut back on torches. Once we’re inside, we won’t be able to light them often anyway because of the ants. Skip the rope too. We’re not climbing anything.”
“Didn’t you say there are ruins? We’ll need to go up.”
“We should bring Wildfire Potions instead.”
“Those expensive things?”
“I guarantee it—if things go wrong, we’ll need to burn our way out or blast through something.”
To Jangcheok, it probably sounded like pointless meddling, but every suggestion had a basis. From everything I’d experienced so far, the game’s information wasn’t 100% accurate, but the broad structure usually held up. Like how the Goblin Nest was full of nothing but trash, or how scouting parties took turns on watch.
Jangcheok studied the revised budget with a puzzled expression.
“Have you been to the Ant Cave before?”
“What about you?”
“This is my first time. Explorers just take whatever job comes up. I only accepted this because I had nothing better to do.”
I’d killed over two hundred queen ants while playing a thousand hours of the game. Couldn’t exactly explain that.
“I just heard things.”
Jangcheok took the revised budget to the supervisor—Gawin. The plan was approved without issue. Looking over the changes, Jangcheok seemed dazed.
“The supervisor asked if this was your work.”
“This?”
“Yeah. Said it was much better…”
Good was good. Jangcheok still didn’t understand how it happened, but he congratulated me anyway and clapped my shoulder.
“Haha. As expected, educated people are different. The supervisor must really value you. You’re a good kid. Haha.”
How was I supposed to respond to that?
“Let’s make this expedition a success.”
The reason Jangcheok liked me was obvious—the burden on the party leader had decreased significantly. We now had a better plan from the start. A party leader’s evaluation rose as long as the mission succeeded. Success was always good. Unlike someone like me, who mostly failed and scraped by on experience points to rank up…
Once the exploration plan was finalized, we agreed to meet on the scheduled date and depart. Our destination was the Ant Cave dungeon.
This time, I prayed desperately that nothing would go wrong.