Bullkan, the Severe Misanthrope
Bullkan Kerad Devraks Aleion.
He was known as the mad dragon of the dungeon's deepest layer, a being even explorers dreaded encountering.
The moment you tried talking to him, he radiated an aura like he might kill you on the spot. And in fact, there were more than a few deepest-layer explorers who'd been verbally abused just for speaking to him.
Some parties couldn't hold back against his tirades and ganged up on him—only to get utterly demolished in return. He was truly worthy of the title "mad dog of the depths."
He had other nicknames too.
Human hater, personality wreck, mad dragonkin, and so on.
But the truth was, Bullkan didn't hate just humans.
He hated everything in this world.
One day, he opened his eyes to find himself suddenly transported to this world. He had nothing—no possessions, no one he knew.
His lover, friends, family—all left behind in his original world. He'd been kidnapped alone to this godforsaken place.
Most of life is built on relationships with others. Didn't someone say true death is being forgotten by everyone?
Being isekai'd meant losing everyone who remembered him. It was akin to death itself.
Already boiling with rage beyond mere sorrow, and then the world itself ended up in ruins. Bullkan was on the verge of madness.
A world destroyed by fools making foolish choices over and over.
To escape this hellish place, he'd wandered the world for decades, gathering every scrap of information, but found no way back home. The last resort he discovered was dungeon exploration.
Dungeons—the ultimate unknown, nonexistent in his original world—seemed the most suspicious.
The deepest layer of the dungeon, where no one had ever seen the end.
Believing that reaching it would reveal a path home, he pushed through.
But...
Even after probing beyond the so-called deepest point, he hit a wall.
A section impossible to breach, even with his dragonkin physique and transmigrator abilities.
Knowing his growth had reached its limit, Bullkan despaired.
And then monsters appeared, the world collapsed into apocalypse...
Leading to the present.
The only reason he was in the dungeon now was to sustain the Shelter. He didn't care if this world fell or not—as long as he stayed alive, he could keep searching for a way home.
"...So what's this auction?"
One thing he couldn't understand was the auction talk from the Dragon Slayer's party.
An auction in a world that went to shit a decade ago? And one these guys would join?
Bullkan couldn't wrap his head around it.
* * *
Kerres was flustered by Bullkan's question.
He didn't know about auctions? No, even before that... A bit more conversation revealed he knew nothing about Dragon Speech Bracelets, raids, or the park either.
It was like he was living in a completely different world by himself.
Kerres posed one suspicion.
"Bullkan, do you not check the Gallery at all?"
"...Why the hell would I? Isn't that where crazies post their gross pics?"
"Uh..."
Kerres was speechless.
As DragonSlayer, he'd seen countless gross images there.
And it hit him. The reason Bullkan knew nothing about the Gallery...
He must've seen a gross pic the first time he logged in.
Those things get clickbait titles to farm views, so if you're unlucky, yeah, you get hit.
With his temper...
'He probably never went back after that.'
"Haha... Well, you might not know. Do you know about the Dungeon Master, then?"
"That I know. A transmigrator with the ability to create dungeons, right?"
"You know about the Dungeon Master? But why... don't you know anything else? Where'd you hear about him?"
...A guy who basically lives in dungeons, but knows the Dungeon Master? That info usually comes from the Gallery, right...?
"Some punks I beat down before mentioned him. Something like... 'Hurry up and open the top-layer dungeon'? Don't know the details. But they kept shouting it even while getting wrecked, so he must be pretty capable. Kinda piques my interest."
"Higher evaluation than I expected... Figured you'd call him a dungeon-making vermin."
"You're misunderstanding something. I hate the natives of this world. Transmigrators are victims like me, so no reason to hate 'em. And aren't you one too?"
"......That."
Kerres froze at Bullkan's sudden remark. Lenia, the archer who'd been quietly listening, widened her eyes and stared at Kerres.
"...Wait, Kerres, you're a transmigrator?"
"Don't butt in, female."
Veins bulged on Lenia's forehead at the rude words, but she held back and asked her question.
"Whoa... This guy's seriously insane? Sigh, haa... So how'd you know Kerres is a transmigrator? We didn't even know..."
"No obligation to answer you, filthy female."
But she couldn't hold it twice.
"You fucking bastard!!! Come at me!!! I'm gonna snap your horns off and make deer antler today!!!!!!!!!!"
Lenia exploded and charged, but Kuhn—who was prepared—held her back. She flailed her limbs wildly while grabbed.
"You fucking prick...!!! Kuhn, let go!!"
Kerres ignored Lenia and spoke to Bullkan.
"...I'm curious too. Bullkan... how'd you figure it out?"
Bullkan's tone shifted noticeably from when Lenia asked.
"Hm, your moniker 'Dragon Slayer' caught my interest enough. That's why we clashed once. Remember?"
"...Of course. I nearly died."
"I realized it in that fight. Dragon Speech doesn't work on you. So I figured you had a powerful transmigrator ability that resists it. Magic or artifacts can't counter Dragon Speech due to matchup... unless it's an artifact."
Kerres recalled that battle briefly, then voiced his doubt.
"...You used Dragon Speech? But in that fight, you didn't say a word..."
"Dragon Speech is ultimately world-distorting will. Speaking it aloud just amplifies it. No need for words. For creating variables in battle, silent activation is plenty."
...Some dragonkin could use Dragon Speech, and Bullkan was one.
But he'd never heard rumors of Bullkan using it. Meaning he hid it. Or anyone who heard it died.
'Way more calculating than he looks... And now I get why he let me go back then.'
Bullkan had noticed he was a transmigrator and spared him.
Unlike his barbaric speech, he thought and acted carefully. Even his mad-dog antics seemed possibly feigned.
Someone you really didn't want as an enemy.
"...I see. Didn't notice at the time."
"You wouldn't have, greenhorn that you were. Questions answered?"
"Yes."
"Then answer mine. What's this auction? An auction worthy of powerhouses like you? This world's already on the brink of doom."
Oh right, they'd started with auctions. Totally derailed.
Given Bullkan's knowledge level, Kerres explained from the beginning.
The Dungeon Master's emergence and actions to date, summarized carefully to avoid irritating him.
"...I see. Explains why the punks I've met lately all look so buffed up. So what's 'Dragon Tablet' and Dragon Speech Bracelet at this auction? Giant Skull Rock Lizard's a monster I've never heard of either."
"Ah, check the Dungeon Master posts on the Gallery for details."
"You want me to go back to that cesspit?"
"......"
Kerres was speechless again at the irrefutable point.
* * *
After the mad dragonkin Bullkan left.
Lenia, somewhat cooled off, asked Kerres worriedly.
"...You sure about this? Taking that psycho as a teammate..."
"He's just full of anger... probably. And not the backstabbing type. ...Probably."
"......You sure you're okay...? I dunno, if I accidentally shoot an arrow in his skull, just pretend you didn't see."
Sleepy Vera chimed in.
"...But now Bullkan knows about the auction. What if he crashes it?"
"Hm... Nah, he won't go that far. ...Probably."
Kerres suddenly felt uneasy.
* * *
Besides Dragon Slayer Kerres's party, others returned to the Shelter for the auction.
"Heh heh... This should catch the Dungeon Master's eye for sure."
Some pulled out their secret collections.
"Thunder Saw Demon's heart... The intact heart of the trickiest demon subspecies in the depths. This'll make our party top the bids, no doubt."
Others brought rare monster parts from grueling hunts.
And some...
"Dragon Speech Bracelet, huh... This'll make me stronger."
Might not even plan to fully participate.
* * *
And finally, auction day morning.
Isekai Survival Gallery
I was lounging in bed, petting Kkomangi while checking the Gallery reactions.
"Hm, shopping time soon."
Already excited about what'd come up at the auction.
"Hek hek..."
Hope something tasty for Kkomangi shows up...
Please, some nourishing grub for our hardworking good boy.
As I thought that, someone knocked.
Bang bang—
— Hey, Baek Soo-chan! Let's go to the park—!!!
Obviously Elise.
"Ah..."
But not today...