The Dwarf City of Sokoban
I stayed by Maya's side for a while. Her condition improved rapidly. Before long, she was up and sitting in a chair as if nothing had happened.
“Are you alright?”
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t worried.
“I showed you something unsightly.”
“It looked pretty serious.”
“...It really only happens once in a while. It’s a seizure I inherited from my mother.”
So it was a chronic condition. It must have been painful, yet Maya smiled as if it were nothing.
“Isn’t there some kind of medicine… or treatment?”
“Well… Actually, I already received treatment from my father when I was young. My body used to be really weak back then.”
“So it wasn’t fully cured.”
“It’s not an easy thing to fix.”
Maya gathered herself again and began flipping through the books on the shelf. In Dungeon Overseer, there was an item called the Philosopher’s Stone. It was the most valuable item that could be made into an elixir—a kind of universal cure-all that could heal any status ailment, including physical disabilities. It required an alchemist with the Magnum Opus skill and specific materials, but its usefulness made it worth the effort.
Perhaps one of the reasons Maya studied ancient knowledge while exploring dungeons was to find a way to completely cure her illness.
I slowly translated the ancient-language books. The only sound that filled the room until late at night was the rustling of pages.
Jerome, who had returned from the guild, brought important information.
“Do you happen to know a city called Sokoban?”
“Sokoban?”
...Of course I knew it. It was the city where you could play that boulder-pushing minigame. Sokoban was the name of the boulder-rolling game that appeared in the roguelike NetHack. Of course, the original was a puzzle game made in Japan.
“They say a cavern has been discovered beneath the Sokoban mines. Dungeon Seekers went to investigate, and they say you can obtain the Essence of the Earth down there.”
“Isn’t that one of the ingredients needed to make an elixir?”
“That’s right. It should help Miss Maya complete her Magnum Opus.”
We briefly discussed the matter under Maya’s lead.
“I think we should go. Sokoban is where the Alchemist Guild has a branch, right?”
“Correct. The Sokoban mines are also owned by the Oricil guild.”
Maya spoke with a firm voice.
“This might be an opportunity. We have Mr. Hajun with us, and we can gather the alchemical materials needed for Magnum Opus.”
Maya immediately wrote up a contract and handed it to us. The terms were simple: accompany her to the abandoned Sokoban mine. Payment was 2000 ron, with performance bonuses available.
“The party members stay the same?”
“Yes. I’ll be hiring the three of you.”
It was an incredibly generous offer. No one in the party refused the contract. We quickly finished signing and began preparing for the expedition.
Just like the previous escort mission, the employer was Maya, and I was the party leader.
“Then I’ll prepare so we can depart as soon as possible.”
“Please do.”
For the next few days, we stayed in Oricil, gathering supplies, arranging a carriage, and making other preparations for the expedition. The preparations were finished in no time.
At dawn, just as the city was beginning to wake, our party gathered at Oricil’s east gate. We were going to depart in the carriage we had arranged.
“Whoa! A carriage!”
It was obvious, but renting a carriage in this area was extremely expensive. Explorers who lived day to day could rarely afford one. Carriages were only used when an employer covered the cost and the situation seemed worth it.
Maya spent money without hesitation. Thanks to her, the trip to Sokoban would be comfortable. Back when I was a total beginner, riding in a carriage had been a dream. Now that I was traveling with an alchemist, it seemed carriage rides would never end.
“Miss Maya, aren’t you going to check the supply list?”
I had handled all the preparations for this trip. Planning was nothing to me, so I finished it in a single day. Still, it was a bit surprising that Maya hadn’t even looked at my plan.
“Why would I? You made the plan, Mr. Hajun.”
“...I’m glad you trust me.”
It somehow sounded like she would blame me for everything if it went wrong.
“Then let’s get going.”
After the final check, we climbed into the carriage one by one. Roa, who had gone up to the roof, suddenly spoke to me.
“Oppa! Isn’t that Miss Arin coming over there?”
A Guardian with detection skills could easily spot hostile beings approaching from far away.
“Why is she coming? Miss Maya, do you know anything?”
“No… I don’t either…”
She wasn’t coming to interfere with our trip, was she? I was a little worried. But a short while later, my concern turned out to be unfounded. Arin had gotten close enough for even non-Guardians to see her clearly.
The moment I saw Arin’s appearance, my mouth fell open.
“Fuck.”
It was definitely Arin. But no matter how you looked at it, she was Tolneko. Wait, did Tolneko’s Great Adventure show up just because this was a roguelike?
Up close, Arin’s appearance was truly shocking. Her small frame was carrying a load that looked nearly twice her size, and she was trudging forward with great difficulty. It was like seeing a human-snail straight out of a Junji Ito manga. Was that even supposed to be called a backpack? What the hell was that monstrous thing?
“Wait up just a seeeecond!”
Arin huffed and puffed as she walked, stopping far in the distance. We hadn’t even departed yet. The party members leisurely watched Arin’s… condition. After panting for a long time, she finally managed to drag her massive bundle over to us.
“Why are you here?” Maya stepped forward as the representative. It was a question that didn’t really need asking. Looking at that enormous pile of luggage, it was obvious why Arin had shown up.
After catching her breath for a while, Arin finally spoke.
“I heard everything! You’re going to Sokoban, right? How could you leave without saying a single word to me?”
“Well, we don’t need to report everywhere we’re going, do we?”
“The Sokoban mines belong to our guild! Take me with you! I’m coming too!”
The party members’ reactions were all different. Roa simply turned her head in disbelief, while Haneul stared at Arin with fascination. Honestly, even I found Arin a bit fascinating. Was this her first time traveling?
Maya pressed her forehead and shook her head.
“We’re not going there to play around.”
“Who said anything about playing?” Arin surprisingly responded with logic. “I’m going as an alchemist affiliated with the Elixir Alchemical Artisan Union’s Oricil branch! You’re going as an explorer, sis.”
“Arin.” Maya looked uncomfortable. Arin’s argument was strangely plausible. It was the kind of logic that could be twisted either way. In a sense, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Go back to the guild while I’m still asking nicely.”
Unlike Maya’s firm tone, Arin completely ignored her. Watching the two of them, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It looks like Miss Arin is worried about Miss Maya.”
“What? Why would I be!”
Arin immediately denied it. They say strong denial is strong affirmation.
“I’m just accompanying you because it’s a guild-owned mine!”
“And you’ll be watching how Miss Maya eats and sleeps in the dungeon too?”
“That’s… just… something I’ll check while I’m there.”
As Arin kept stubbornly clinging on, Maya finally spoke with clear irritation.
“What are we supposed to do if both of us enter the dungeon at the same time? Who’s going to handle the guild work?”
“I left it to Balak.”
“You really…” Maya let out a long sigh.
Then Arin and Maya began a full-blown argument. I retreated early and lay down inside the carriage.
“How do you think this will turn out?”
“I don’t know. I just hope someone wins already.”
About thirty minutes later, a winner emerged. The victor of the exhausting verbal battle was Arin. She proudly loaded the massive bundle she had dragged all the way here onto the carriage. I felt like I was losing my mind.
“So you’re coming with us?”
“That’s right!”
“Then let’s fix that way of speaking first. You’ve been talking casually to only me this whole time.”
“...Huh?”
“I’ll just speak casually too. We’re friends now, after all.”
When I said that first, Arin didn’t know how to respond. It would be weird to suddenly switch to polite speech now. In the end, she said,
“Umm… friends… I guess? Probably?”
I tapped the carriage wall.
“Yes, Oppa?”
“Roa, you’re younger than Arin, right?”
“Probably?”
“Then call her ‘Unni.’ She says she’s friends with me.”
“Understood.”
Traffic control complete. I pointed at the enormous bundle Arin had brought.
“Hey.”
“...Me?”
“What the hell did you pack in there?”
I’d been curious the whole time. What on earth had she brought? When I showed interest, Arin suddenly beamed brightly. Her sudden smile almost made me feel fond of her.
“Hehe. Curious?”
“Of course I’m curious when you brought that much.”
“Then I’ll tell you as a special favor!”
Arin suddenly began unpacking her bundle. Unpacking it here would make repacking it a nightmare.
“This is an alchemical reagent, this is a heater and a separator. Scales, a small cauldron…”
So that’s what it was. She had basically dismantled her entire workshop and brought it with her. In a way, it was truly impressive.
“Clothes to change into, a pillow. Oh, and that’s food. You can eat it if you want.”
She even shared her food. Maybe she really was a good kid.
“I’m genuinely curious. Why did you bring a pillow?”
“Sleeping on the bare ground is too hard. I can’t sleep in uncomfortable places.”
Amazing. Maya was also at a loss for words as she looked at the items her sister had brought. Only Haneul spoke with deep admiration.
“Unni, are you actually a genius?”
“Hehe. You finally noticed?”
“A pillow in a dungeon… I never even imagined it! How did you think of that!”
“The more thorough the preparation, the better!”
Haneul showered Arin with endless praise.
...She was one hundred percent teasing her. I should probably stop this.
“Haneul. Take it easy.”
“No, I’m being serious! Should I buy one when we get to Sokoban too?”
“Do whatever you want.”
The conversation had taken a strange turn, but anyway.
“You’re really coming with us? Even if you start begging to go home later, it won’t work.”
“Hmph, who do you think I am?”
With Arin now added to the party, we headed toward the dwarven city of Sokoban.
After traveling by carriage for about two days, the dwarven city came into view.
“We’re here!”
“It’s smaller than I expected.”
“The whole city looks small. Must be because dwarves built it.”
Sokoban was a city carved directly from rock. It was easiest to think of it as being made in a similar way to the real-world city of Petra. The entrance required passing through a massive boulder, and the paths were as steep as cliffs. Anyone who wanted to attack this place would need to spend centuries planning a siege.
The inside of the city was incredibly charming. Large and small earthen mounds served as houses, each with small holes that functioned as doors. It looked exactly like the hobbit homes from the live-action Lord of the Rings movies.
Arin had been to Sokoban before, but it was Maya’s first time.
“It’s amazing.”
“Dwarves are good at handling stone. They’re not good at much else, though.”
After passing through the main gate, dwarven guards performed a simple identity check.
“So you’re the alchemists from Oricil.”
The Sokoban mines had a special contract with the Alchemist Guild. The guild owned the mines, but management and labor had been entrusted to the dwarves. The dwarves could mine as much ore as they wanted as long as they paid the usage fee. Although it was technically guild-owned land, the dwarves were the ones actually running the mines. Considering Sokoban’s appearance, it was surprising how the Alchemist Guild had managed to get their hands on the mines at all.
“Should we eat first?”
“Let’s do that!”
Even though only two days had passed, the beginner travelers Haneul and Arin were incredibly bored. Especially Arin. She complained that she couldn’t nap because the carriage was too shaky, that the food didn’t taste good, and the moment we entered the city, she immediately looked for a restaurant.
“You guys eat first.”
“What about you, Oppa?”
“I’ll go to the Alchemist Guild with Miss Maya first.”
Unlike the excited girls thinking about food, only Roa worried about us. She seriously debated whether she should follow us or go with Arin. Knowing she would do that, I sent her off to eat.
“I’ll go with…”
“We’re just going to talk about the expedition for a bit. Go on ahead.”
I sent all the useless people to the restaurant. One Maya was enough to handle the request.
“Shall we go?”
I moved together with just Maya. It was a rather short building. Its height was about that of a bus stop, and its overall shape resembled a terminal waiting room. Since dwarves built their buildings modestly, a structure of that size was actually considered quite spacious. That was the Alchemist Guild branch of Sokoban.
When we entered the guild, a dwarf with a long beard greeted us.
“You must be the people from Oricil!”
He was the dwarf in charge of managing the Sokoban Alchemist Guild.
“I’m Kuro. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Maya. This is Mr. Hajun.”
“I’ve heard about you. You’re here to explore the dungeon, right?”
Apparently having received advance notice, dwarf Kuro handled us without any surprise.
“The guild is really small. Where are the other alchemists?”
“Hahaha. There are almost no professional alchemists in Sokoban. We mostly just collect minerals and send them to Oricil, or sell goods that come from Oricil.”
It was true that Sokoban was a city with little influence from explorers. For explorers to gather in large numbers, there needed to be dungeons or monster habitats nearby. Since there were none near Sokoban, it was, in another sense, a very livable town.
“I heard a cave was discovered beneath the mines.”
Maya calmly began talking business. The suddenly discovered cave, and exploring it, was the entirety of this request.
“Ah, you mean that troublesome cave.”
Kuro frowned and shook his head. It seemed just thinking about it gave him a headache.
“The mine was closed because of it. The investigation needs to finish quickly…”
“What are the Dungeon Seekers saying?”
“Well, they say the cavern is incredibly vast. There’s a small settlement underground, and various monsters are inhabiting the area.”
Maya glanced at me. Her eyes asked if I knew anything about it. Of course, I did know a few things.
“A settlement in an underground cave. So they’re cave dwellers.”
“The Dungeon Seekers said they’re investigating the culture or something… but with so many monsters around, I’m not sure how feasible that is.”
Dungeon Overseer was a game where underground areas and caves appeared frequently. Around the mid-game, an event would trigger where you discovered an ancient underground city, and that was where the enemy called ‘Cave Dweller Warrior’ first appeared. The cave dweller series were truly nothing but weak trash mobs. They were humanoid enemies based on humans that had adapted uniquely to live in caves. As anyone who had caught on already knew, ‘humans’ in Dungeon Overseer were treated as nothing more than a tasty lunchbox by monsters. In other words, they were at the very bottom of the food chain, the weakest of the weak.
Humans who had hidden away in caves couldn’t be that strong no matter what. At the end of the day, they were still human. The real significance of the cave dweller series was that they were one of the many pieces of bait scattered throughout the game. Ancient people. Underground ancient ruins. The faith of the goddess and the fallen underground race. Why would humans be living in a sealed underground cave?
I had played this shitty game for about a thousand hours, but I didn’t know much about that particular piece of lore. That was because it had been an early access game. The story was supposed to be added in the final update. And I had fallen here before that happened.
“If it’s just cave dwellers, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Of course, it was unknown whether they would be hostile or not. Since the Dungeon Seekers were conducting a cultural investigation, they probably weren’t monsters that attacked first.