Chapter 21: Underground Dungeon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21: Underground Dungeon (2)
“An underground dungeon?”
Seriously, why is something like that under a temple?
[This cavern was originally created to seal and store the most dangerous of my nine holy relics.]
“Ah!”
At the World Tree’s explanation, Iris gestured as if she finally understood.
“Is that why it was so difficult to analyze the spell formula of the barrier?”
[That is correct, child. This barrier does not welcome visitors who do not bear the royal emblem, nor does it permit them to leave.]
The barrier surrounding the underground cavern used spatial separation to prevent anyone without the royal emblem from entering or exiting.
There were no fatal restrictions within the space itself. The only constraint was that one could not leave.
“But... calling it a dungeon makes me a little uneasy. There isn't anything strange down there, is there...?”
Nah, no way.
[Magical beasts will block the path to the deepest level. And my avatar, sleeping to protect the holy relic, will also awaken the moment you step into the dungeon.]
“...Just in case, what are the chances of a 2nd Circle mage making it back with all his limbs intact?”
[About the same as the chance of that child eating meat.]
For the record, Iris was a vegetarian.
“Iris, can elves not eat meat?”
“No, our constitution prevents us from eating meat.”
If it were simply a preference, there might have been a sliver of a chance. But if it was a racial trait, the possibility was zero.
In other words, with my current skills, there was no chance of me clearing that dungeon safely.
On top of that, Iris couldn't use her full power because of her restraints. That meant I would have to handle most of the dungeon crawl myself.
Of course, if I took my time, traveling back and forth between Earth and this world to grow in various ways, it might be possible someday.
But when would that be?
Five years? Ten? Twenty?
Wouldn't the avatar guarding a god's holy relic be at least as strong as Iris in her prime? At worst, it would be just a step below.
7th Circle.
Sure, I had created a mana circle in half a day and reached the 2nd Circle in a week thanks to the app's power, but the 7th Circle was a realm so distant and lofty that I wasn't even allowed to gaze upon it.
There were only ten 7th Circle mages on Earth.
How much time would I have to pour in to reach that level?
Just the thought of it made my vision go dark.
Just then, a gentle warmth enveloped my hand.
“Hyun-woo, please don’t worry too much.”
Iris held my hand tenderly and leaned against my shoulder.
“You don’t have to be so hasty. I’ll look for a way to help you, too.”
“...”
“So, let’s do our best together, okay?”
Without a word, I pulled Iris into an embrace.
“Thank you.”
Suddenly, I felt like I could enter the underground dungeon alone right now.
“And I’m also planning to research how to remove the restraints, so if that goes well, you might not even have to enter the dungeon, Hyun-woo.”
“I don’t know about that...”
As a man, I couldn't accept letting a woman handle the work while I waited in a safe place.
I’d rather die in the dungeon.
I couldn't even imagine doing such a thing.
[Child, I am sorry to interrupt your conversation, but the only one to enter the dungeon is Kang Hyun-woo.]
“What?!”
Iris’s eyes, wide with surprise as she looked at the World Tree, were filled with unconcealable questions.
“W-Why is that, Mother...? If Hyun-woo enters the dungeon alone...!”
[Because it is for his own good.]
The World Tree’s subsequent reply left us bewildered.
I thought she was just a doting parent who didn't want to send her precious daughter into a dangerous dungeon, but what did she mean it was for my own good?
“For my own good? What do you mean?”
[When do you think a mage grows?]
It was a simple question.
“Isn’t it when they research magic and acquire new knowledge?”
Knights grew through physical training and aura cultivation, but it was common sense that mages grew by acquiring new knowledge or through research.
[That is common sense that applies only when you dream of becoming a scholar.]
“...Ah.”
[There is no difference between a knight and a mage when it comes to growth. Both grow by crossing the line between life and death, experiencing countless real battles, and using those experiences as a foundation. I believe you aim to be a mage infinitely specialized in real combat.]
She was right.
Being cooped up in a room just researching magic wasn't my style.
[Kang Hyun-woo, you shall head to the dungeon alone. Of course, with your current skills, the 1st Layer will be your limit, but even so, the perilous combat will make you grow quickly.]
“The 1st Layer...”
There wasn't a single flaw in the World Tree's reasoning.
In fact, the thought that I should head to the dungeon immediately became dominant.
Grip—
“Hyun-woo, you can’t...”
Iris’s face was filled with worry as she clutched my sleeve.
“It’s too dangerous. You still don’t know the unique nature of a space like a dungeon...”
“Do you trust me?”
“...”
The moment our eyes met, I was more serious than I had ever been.
It wasn't that I didn't understand her concern. If I had my way, I’d want to spend the whole day holding her.
Laughing at silly jokes, filling our bellies with food I brought from Earth... just imagining such a joyful daily life would be enough to make me die happy.
But running away from reality like that wouldn't start anything.
[Remaining Match Time: 11:32:47]
I had 11 hours left.
It seemed the time limit had increased because my Bond Level with Iris had gone up.
It was a lot of time, but still less than a day.
“Like I said before, no matter what happens, I will get you out of here.”
I smiled lightly and stroked Iris’s hair.
“Do you know the one thing about my people?”
“...I don’t.”
I turned and walked toward the stairs leading down to the dungeon.
A heavy, cold wind blew up from the bottom of the spiral staircase.
Perhaps because of the unique nature of this place, I could even feel the oppressive weight of ominous magic.
“Everything, fast.”
[Equipping Assistant Monocle.]
[You can now see the flow of magic.]
[Equipping Magic Ring.]
[The power of your magic slightly increases.]
[Wood Wand]
[Casting time is slightly reduced, and the power of your magic slightly increases.]
“Iris, I’ll get you out of here as fast as I can, too.”
I descended into the dungeon.
*
[Entering Peledeia's Underground Labyrinth.]
The stairs seemed to go on forever.
I must have descended at least 500 steps, but I still couldn't see anything that looked like the 1st Layer.
The longer it took, the more my tension grew.
In a situation where a magical beast could appear at any moment, my vision always had a blind spot.
It was because the path down was a spiral staircase.
Perhaps because of that, my five senses grew sharper than ever, and my magic churned fiercely, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.
How much time had passed like that?
“This must be the door to the 1st Layer...”
I had arrived before a stone door engraved with a golden tree.
Once I opened this door, I would be stepping into a dungeon teeming with magical beasts and traps.
“Hoo...”
It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous.
But the more I felt it, the more I thought of Iris and steeled my resolve.
I had a duty.
A duty for receiving the love of a woman like Iris, who was far too good for me.
A duty to help Iris escape this wretched prison, and to give her the chance to take revenge on Resilia and those behind her, who had framed her and locked her away here for 200 years.
Creeak—
I pushed the heavy-looking stone door with all my might.
Contrary to my expectations, the door opened easily.
The moment I opened the door and took my first step into the dungeon, torches lit up in sequence in the dark space, revealing a corridor that stretched out of sight.
It was similar to the structure of dungeons you’d see in games.
“Good thing I brought a notebook and a pen.”
In fictional dungeons, the most important thing was mapping. And that applied to reality as well.
Low-level hunters supposedly always brought mapping tools with them when they entered gates. The rich ones carried magical devices that mapped automatically, but with my current bank account, that was out of the question.
“The corridor is wider than I thought.”
It was wide enough for six adult men to walk side by side.
The ceiling seemed to be about five meters high, too.
It didn't seem too cramped for casting magic or swinging a sword.
Of course, if you were to ask if this was a good sign, I could tell you with certainty that it was not.
“They wouldn't have built it like this for the convenience of the people entering the dungeon.”
Nine times out of ten, it was correct to assume there was a magical beast that required a corridor of this size.
Cold sweat trickled down my back at the thought, but I tried my best not to dwell on it.
I had to avoid getting swept up in negative thoughts as much as possible.
I walked for a long time after that.
Strangely, no magical beasts appeared. But if you were to ask if that was comfortable, that wasn't it either.
The World Tree had said there were traps inside the dungeon.
For the record, I had no idea what traps looked like or how they worked. Because of that, I had to focus all my nerves with every step I took.
Thanks to that, fatigue was building up quickly.
I hadn't even fought yet, but sweat was pouring down like rain.
‘Hah, if I had more magic, I could have walked with a barrier up the whole time.’
That would have been convenient, but it was impossible for now.
I had no choice but to manage my stamina by taking breaks, sipping water, and eating a light meal.
How much time passed like that?
Finally, the straight path ended, and in the distance, the path split in two.
“Which way should I go?”
In truth, I might have to check both ways eventually.
Still, for now, I wanted to avoid the more dangerous path if possible.
‘I’m sure I saw a method veteran hunters use in situations like this on the forums...’
Thud.
“?!”
Just as I was before the fork, I sensed a presence from the right path.
It was a clear footstep—no, the sound of a footstep—so distinct it couldn't be a mistake.
“...Fucking hell.”
Then, from the strangely dark corridor, a bipedal, muscular son of a bitch emerged.
GRAAAAAAAH!!!
Its roar sent shivers down my spine.
My magic began to churn in an undeniable survival instinct.
I reflexively clenched my teeth and raised the wood wand in my right hand.
This was the first magical beast I had encountered in the dungeon.