The Warmth of the Hearth
The warm glow of the hearth signaled the start of evening. We took our seats at the table as Jangcheok suggested. Each guest chair was cushioned with thick animal pelts—probably something Jangcheok had hunted during his expeditions.
“Father!”
“Ah, there you are. Come on in.”
A young man with sun-darkened skin exchanged a casual handshake with Jangcheok. Jangcheok had two children: his son Ideon and his daughter Isol. Ideon was engaged and lived nearby with his fiancée.
“We have guests?”
“My companions. You remember Sion from last time, right? This is the explorer Hajun. And over there is Noman.”
I stood up to greet Ideon. Despite our sudden visit, he showed no awkwardness. It seemed Jangcheok had a habit of bringing colleagues home unannounced.
“I’m Ideon.”
Unlike his explorer father, Ideon was a farmer from head to toe. His level was 0, and his stats were ordinary. He joined us at the table without hesitation.
“You’re back earlier than usual.”
“Heh heh heh. We hit it big in the dungeon this time. You wouldn’t believe what Sion and I found—”
“How much did you make? Enough to buy a cow?”
“Of course! I’m thinking of getting a cow and maybe raising a few pigs while I’m at it.”
Jangcheok was eager to launch into his adventure stories, but Ideon paid them no attention. Since we were close in age, Ideon turned to me instead, speaking as if he wanted his father to overhear.
“Father tends to exaggerate. He’s always going on about how he nearly died or how he took down some monster. Every time he comes back, it’s the same old tales.”
I recalled what had happened in the Ant Cave. Well… Jangcheok really had nearly died. That incident with the golden fragment and the hidden mechanism…
“Do you fight monsters too, Hajun? Or do you just deliver packages?”
“I kill monsters and deliver packages. Whatever pays.”
“Really? Have you ever taken down a troll?”
“No, not yet—”
“Hey, even Silver Badge explorers struggle with trolls. Us Bronze Badges have to run from orc warriors, let alone trolls.”
“But you’re an explorer.”
“Tch. Trolls, huh. Who’s planning a funeral?”
Right then, Sion spoke up while sipping water, his voice dripping with smug nonsense.
“Ah, trolls. I participated in a troll hunt once. Probably.”
Noman, who had been watching, took the bait.
“Is that true? You’re amazing, Sion!”
“Well, I didn’t kill it myself, but I played the most decisive role in the hunt. You could say the troll fell by my hand, in a way…”
Someone trade seats with me. I’m going to be sick.
A graceful young woman emerged from the kitchen carrying dishes. It was Jangcheok’s daughter, Isol. Sion immediately stopped talking and turned to meet her eyes. Isol smiled shyly and hurried back into the kitchen.
So that was why he’d been boasting. It was all for Isol. Not that anyone here besides Jangcheok’s family would fall for it…
“Oh my! You must be incredibly brave, Sion!”
“From what I can see, you seem like a seasoned explorer yourself, Noman.”
“R-really?”
“I can tell at a glance. The way you never take your eyes off that lantern, always staying alert—that’s the mark of a skilled Dungeon Seeker.”
“Ah, hahaha… I do have some exploration experience…”
They were having a grand time. Maybe they should just hold hands and go hunt trolls together.
“Alright, that’s enough chatting. The food’s here, so eat before it gets cold.”
Just then, Jangcheok’s wife and Isol appeared from the kitchen with a generous spread. Once everyone focused on eating, the room fell quiet as if a ghost had passed through. I concentrated on the meal.
“How is it? Not bad, right?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Hahaha, eat up! My wife’s cooking is second to none!”
Good food, a round of drinks, lively stories, and laughter. The excellent dinner passed without a single flaw.
After the meal and drinks, a full moon hung high in the sky. It was late. To sober up, we scattered and chatted lightly. Jangcheok stayed behind with his wife while the explorers stepped outside.
“Hajun, being an explorer is a dangerous job, isn’t it?”
Ideon’s question caught me off guard. You’d think a son with an explorer for a father would have figured that out on his own.
“If you’ve heard Jangcheok’s stories, you should already know.”
“…He always says it like a joke. One moment he’s talking about nearly dying, the next he’s claiming he met a dragon. I can’t tell where the exaggeration ends and the truth begins.”
Ideon spoke like he was venting.
“I asked Sion last time, but he didn’t give me a straight answer either.”
Jangcheok’s tall tales. I thought I understood why he told them. No head of household could honestly describe the horrors they faced at work. A son always wants to believe his father is the best, and a father shows his son only his strongest side. Jangcheok was a Bronze Badge explorer—neither strong nor particularly clever. He had simply survived countless crises. So he spun exaggerated stories for Ideon, because he didn’t want his son to know the real truth of the dungeons.
“That’s why I only talk about the money. He always says that once he saves enough, he’ll retire.”
“He’s probably saved enough by now. I wouldn’t be surprised if he retires soon.”
“…That’s a relief.”
Ideon muttered under his breath.
“I just hope Father doesn’t push himself anymore. I’ve told him we have enough money, but he won’t listen. He keeps saying he has to earn while he still can…”
“He’s certainly got a strong greed for coin.”
In the quiet tremor of Ideon’s voice, I could feel his concern for Jangcheok. He wanted his father to retire as soon as possible, terrified that something might go wrong.
I stood up. It was about time to head back inside.
“Where’s Noman?”
“He said he was sleepy and went in first.”
“And Sion?”
“He’s probably with Isol.”
Ideon shrugged as if it were nothing. I wandered near the farmhouse without much thought, looking for Sion. There was no special reason—just an old habit from dungeon exploration. Checking everyone’s location before and after sleep wasn’t optional; it was essential.
After walking for a while, I spotted Sion. Just as Ideon had said, he was with Isol. The two sat side by side on a low fence, chatting quietly under the bright moonlight. I didn’t know when they’d grown close, but the way they leaned toward each other made it clear they weren’t awkward around one another. A young man and woman talking on a moonlit night… I wasn’t clueless enough to interrupt.
I turned to head back to the farmhouse.
That’s when I saw something strange in the distance. A shadow that seemed to move on its own… something long and black. My instincts screamed danger. I sprinted straight toward Sion.
“Sion!”
He turned around, eyes widening when he saw me.
“Hajun? What’s—”
At that moment, the creeping shadow reared up.
“Kyaaaaah!”
It wasn’t a shadow. It was a massive swarm of countless insects tangled together! The writhing mass surged toward Sion and Isol like a wave.
“Goddamn it!”
I instinctively reached for my sawblade, then stopped. My weapons were back at Jangcheok’s house, and a sawblade wouldn’t do much against a swarm anyway. Change of plans. Use magic.
“Poison Arrow!”
I quickly chanted the spell. Necromancers who mastered corpses and poison could inflict powerful toxins on their enemies. The Poison Arrow struck the swarm, and dozens of insects writhed and died.
Through the gap, Sion appeared—clutching Isol tightly as if she were the most precious thing in the world. As an Ironclad, he moved surprisingly well even while carrying her. I didn’t stop, casting the next spell immediately.
“Corpse Explosion!”
You have called upon the power of darkness...
The corpse swells as if about to explode!
The level 1 spell Corpse Rot had evolved into Corpse Explosion after reaching level 4—similar to how Animate Skeleton strengthened into Animate Dead. Corpse Explosion. A small insect was too insignificant to explode on its own, but dozens at once? That was a different story.
A wave of black mana crashed into the swarm. The dead insects blackened and swelled before bursting open with a sickening stench, like firecrackers going off all at once.
Pop!
The swarm recoiled in shock and scattered. I cast my final spell.
The underground fairy’s mystical power fills you with strength!
“Animate Dead!”
You have called upon a dark power...
Malevolent mana spreads outward!
The reanimation spell took hold. Insects killed by the Corpse Explosion began rising as zombie bugs. They turned on their former comrades, sinking teeth into the backs of the living swarm. The insects panicked, thrashing wildly. While the zombie bugs bought time, I ran to Sion.
“Hey, you okay?”
Sion’s face was pale. His limbs, face, neck, and shoulders were riddled with finger-sized holes. The insects had burrowed inside him. Dozens of them writhed beneath his skin.
“...Shit. My whole body itches.”
“Hang on. I’ll get Noman right away.”
Sion trembled violently, barely able to endure it. The sensation of insects crawling under your skin was unbearable even for a minute. Yet he still prioritized Isol.
“Her first... Isol.”
Isol was curled up, frozen in terror. A quick check showed several insects had burrowed into her as well. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed.
“W-what do we do... I’m so scared...”
Isol’s mental state was fragile. One attack had sent her into full panic. I smacked a bug on her back to kill it, then grabbed her and sprinted toward Jangcheok’s house.
“Sion! Hold the perimeter for a bit!”
Sion nodded silently. As an Ironclad with the worst possible Negative trait—Fear of Injury—he was terrified of getting hurt. These wounds should have shattered his mind. But he held on, for the sake of protecting Jangcheok’s family.
“Noman! Get up! Now!”
Back at the house, I found Noman first. Among the gear by the door, his Seer Lantern glowed with an icy blue light.
“Mmm... What’s going on?”
I shook the still-drowsy Noman awake.
“We need to move. We’re under attack!”
“What? At this hour?”
I pushed Isol forward, lantern in hand. Noman’s eyes widened.
“Good heavens. I’ll treat her immediately.”
When Noman activated the Seer Lantern, a vivid red light poured out. Isol’s wounds began to close. It was enough for emergency treatment, but the insects inside would need separate handling later.
The commotion drew Jangcheok outside.
“What’s happening?!”
I calmly explained the situation.
“Jangcheok, there’s something out there. Stay inside and protect your family.”
“Damn it! Just when I thought we could rest!”
I turned to Noman.
“Let’s go.”
“What? Go outside?”
“We need to investigate the swarm.”
“But it’s dangerous out there... Ugh. Fine! Let’s go, then!”
After a moment’s hesitation, Noman slapped his own cheeks and grabbed his lantern and whip. We headed straight for Sion.
“Sion, get treated first. Then stay inside. If anything happens, help Jangcheok.”
Sion nodded slowly. We scraped out the dead insects from his skin and used the Seer Lantern to prevent infection.
“There was someone watching.”
Sion had been observing the situation alone. He’d seen someone monitoring the swarm. When the insects started dying from fighting among themselves, the figure had slipped away.
“Good work. I’ll take it from here.”
“I’m counting on you, Hajun.”
Sion dragged his exhausted body back to the farmhouse. Noman wore a miserable expression.
“Finding the person connected to the swarm is one thing, but following them is going to get us killed.”
“Still better than getting ambushed again. And Jangcheok’s family needs explorers to protect them.”
“That’s... true. We can’t let them get hurt.”
Noman adjusted the Seer Lantern. A glowing blue trail appeared on the ground. We examined the tracks carefully.
“Noman, the Seer Lantern can track footprints, right?”
“Ah, yes. I found footprints. But this is...”
Noman tilted his head.
“These don’t look like footprints. More like something was dragged?”
Sion had seen a person, but the tracks Noman found couldn’t have been made by one. It was almost as if...
“The swarm.”
“...You’re right. It looks like the trail left by crawling insects.”
I quickly searched my memory of Dungeon Overseer’s monster list and found the name without difficulty.
“Shit.”
A monster that left trails of insect swarms instead of footprints.
The Worm that Walks.
We were dealing with the tracks of a walking swarm of insects.