Chapter 174
Chapter 174
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: 39. Sleeping with the Enemy (9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Personal score……?”
“No way, the rewards are different for each person?”
As the reward phase arrived, the reactions split between the dungeon newbies and the veterans.
Jeong Gu and Ryu Man-ho were first-timers in this dungeon.
Meanwhile, Tomiko and Jang Jaham seemed to have prior dungeon experience based on their responses.
“Probably ranked by contribution. Rewards differ by rank.”
When Tomiko said this, Ryu Man-ho furrowed his brow.
“Contribution……?”
That was hardly welcome news for him.
Wouldn’t the Joseon First Sword over there dominate the contribution scores in this dungeon?
“Well, surviving this insane place is reward enough.”
Next, Shandong’s Twin Evils Jang Jaham spouted a fairly detached line as he plopped down on the floor.
The ordeal in Room 3 had left him too exhausted even to stand.
「Personal score calculation complete.」
Soon, the dungeon system finished tallying scores for the five participants.
[1st] Young-woo – Total 133/100
- Unrivaled problem-solver.
- Overwhelming equipment score.
-Between legal and illegal.
[2nd] Tomiko – Total 62/100
-Polite demeanor.
-High equipment score.
-Unlucky Room 3.
[3rd] Jeong Gu – Total 56/100
-Outstanding weapon launcher.
-Gave it his all.
-Young-woo’s father.
[4th] Jaham – Total 47/100
-Outstanding fighter.
-Assault instigator.
-Unlucky Room 3.
[5th] Man-ho – Total 36/100
-Outstanding fighter.
-Division instigator.
-Mood swinger.
“What? You fuck… I’m dead last?”
As the report cards went public, Taiwan’s Ryu Man-ho, who placed 5th, vented his frustration.
China’s Jang Jaham immediately sneered at him with a sleazy grin.
“Heh heh, just like it says on the report card. Division instigator and mood swinger.”
“What’d you say, you assault instigator bastard.”
As Ryu Man-ho growled and reached for his sword, Tomiko once again stepped between them, snapping in anger.
“Ah, seriously! Cut it out already. Aren’t you embarrassed riding that guy’s coattails?”
Swoosh.
Tomiko pointed at the Joseon First Sword, Jeong Young-woo, with her hand.
Of course, even she hadn’t contributed much to this dungeon in practical terms.
Still, the system had judged her a 62/100 party member.
That put her at 2nd place by rank.
‘With a 36 here, 62 is pretty damn good.’
That was why Tomiko could boldly speak up despite the 133 looming over her.
“…….”
Meanwhile, Jeong Gu tilted his head at his own lukewarm score sheet.
56/100 total.
It seemed they’d given him credit for doing his best on the missions.
He accepted the ‘weapon launcher’ moniker—half insult, half not—since he’d done little in the boss fight besides toss a weapon to Young-woo.
‘But still…….’
-Young-woo’s father.
What did ‘Young-woo’s father’ even mean?
From introducing himself as Young-woo’s dad when they first entered?
But if not…
“…….”
While Jeong Gu wore a complicated expression, Tomiko glanced at the score sheet floating over the rulebook and spoke.
“Anyway, first time seeing a score over 100. How does that even happen? Did he do it before too?”
[1st] Young-woo – Total 133/100
Tomiko asked, convinced Jeong Young-woo had cleared prior dungeons the same way.
Flying greatswords and whistling for bizarre squads… it seemed obvious.
“Yeah, something like that.”
Young-woo affirmed Tomiko’s question but didn’t reveal details.
“Scores don’t matter. Surviving another dungeon does.”
Of course, that wasn’t sincere.
Young-woo desperately needed the 1st-place reward: the codex.
‘So I took 1st. Now we’re done.’
As Young-woo gazed at his score sheet with relief, the reward prompt appeared right on cue.
Flash!
「Rewards distributed by confirmed rank.」
[1st] Young-woo – Armor Codex
[2nd] Tomiko – Random Saga Equipment
[3rd] Jeong Gu – Random Saga Equipment
[4th] Jaham – Random Unique Equipment
[5th] Man-ho – Random Unique Equipment
“Oh?”
“Huh……?”
Everyone was shocked by the rewards, though for different reasons.
Dungeon rookies Jeong Gu and Ryu Man-ho marveled at starting with Unique-grade.
Veterans Tomiko and Jang Jaham, meanwhile…
“Codex?”
“What’s a codex……?”
They reacted as if seeing this reward type for the first time.
This left Young-woo puzzled too.
“First time seeing a codex? There must’ve been 1sts in your prior dungeons.”
When Young-woo asked, Tomiko nodded as if it were obvious.
“Of course. 1st place is always Legendary equipment, right……?”
“The 1st I saw was Legendary too.”
The two, having experienced different dungeons, insisted 1st was normally Legendary, while only Young-woo knew it as codex.
Which meant…
‘I got it wrong?’
Young-woo’s eyes returned to his score.
[1st] Young-woo – Total 133/100
‘Total, 133.’
And last night, in ‘Ilya’s Pain’ where he’d earned the accessory codex…
[1st] Young-woo – Total 172/100
‘…172. Both times, over max for 1st.’
Young-woo finally realized.
Equipment codices were the dungeon’s hidden reward.
Something beyond mere ‘total 1st’—a hidden prize for achieving more.
‘Yeah, taking 1st isn’t easy, but with dungeons opening worldwide daily… it didn’t add up.’
As Young-woo made a face like it all clicked, Tomiko and Jang Jaham approached, urging him to spill.
“What? What is it?”
“Spit it out already.”
But the gathering of four nations’ elites ended there.
Light flashed before the eyes of the four excluding Young-woo.
Flash, flash!
The real rewards materialized.
Unique rewards in orange boxes, Saga in silver-white ones.
“Whoa, what’s this? Comes like a gift?”
Jeong Gu let out a rare excited voice. The tension he’d held finally released.
After brushing death, he’d scored Saga-grade gear.
To trade for this from a merchant would cost a fortune in karma or erase a Legendary achievement.
“So what about you, Young-woo…….”
Tomiko turned back to Jeong Young-woo, but he was already checking his personal notification.
「‘Armor Codex’ added to Jeong Young-woo07’s data.」
‘Ah, jackpot. Armor codex.’
Confirming the codex type, Young-woo unwittingly smirked with arrogance. Spotting it, Jeong Gu looked ominous.
“You little shit… got something huge again, huh?”
“You know it. Now I’m…….”
Invincible, he swallowed the word, grinning.
Dozens of armor pieces slumbering in the golden goblin’s subspace bag came to mind.
Then, at last.
「Dungeon closure in 10 seconds.」
「Participants, exit via portal.」
Countdown began with the closure alert.
「9」
“Eek!”
“Already?”
“What happens now? Back to where we came from?”
「8」
As time ticked relentlessly, all eyes turned to Young-woo.
The freak—no, benefactor—who’d conquered this insane dungeon insanely.
“Tomorrow too, maybe…?”
Shandong’s Twin Evils Jang Jaham subtly pitched an afterparty.
Hot-tempered as he was, his thirst for strength burned hot—enough to risk another dungeon after nearly dying.
Provided he teamed with that Joseon First Sword, of course.
Young-woo nodded, eyeing the timer down to 6 seconds.
「6」
“Yeah. I’ll probably hit a dungeon tomorrow too.”
「5」
“You know, right? Random matching every time. Tough to reunite after splitting.”
Young-woo said this, recalling his first dungeon partners Ricardo and Otavio, with whom he’d synced brilliantly.
He might even miss them a little.
Even outside dungeons, he wanted updates.
‘Hope they didn’t croak screaming somewhere. Maybe flipping TV channels…?’
As Young-woo thought to head back and moved toward the arena wall, an unexpected line shot from behind.
“But you two came together.”
“……?”
Turning, it was Jang Jaham.
“You and your dad. Didn’t you come through the same entrance like you wanted?”
「3」
“Well… same entrance, same time……?”
Young-woo answered matter-of-factly.
Jang Jaham too.
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“What’re you getting at?”
「1」
“So, we could too…….”
Shandong’s Twin Evils’ words cut off.
Or rather, they never reached Young-woo’s ears.
Before he finished speaking, light flooded the arena, ejecting everyone outside.
Flaaash!
Likely forced exit as the dungeon ended per prior notice.
“Urk!”
Only then did Young-woo desperately learn why to exit via portal before countdown ended.
Forced ejection brought massive nausea and pressure.
“Aaaagh!”
As Young-woo screamed unbecoming the Joseon First Sword for a while, his blinding surroundings turned blood-red, eyes and ears clearing.
“…Huck!”
And simultaneously.
“Ergh!”
Jeong Gu suddenly appeared behind, rolling on the ground.
He’d been force-ejected too.
“Whoa, what the hell is all this? We always get booted like this?”
“Urk,” Jeong Gu dry-heaved on the floor.
Of course, with embers raging everywhere, red sparks poured into his gaping mouth.
“This dogshit world! Still dogshit as ever.”
As he grimaced, from beyond the ember storm, the four-horned demon carrying the golden goblin approached with metallic clanks.
Clank, clank.
-Kweeiii!
Young-woo waved to his two comrades, then asked his still-prone father.
“You heard that earlier?”
“…Heard what?”
“What the Chinese guy said.”
“Something about same entrance tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Didn’t catch it all, but that’s the gist.”
“But is that even possible? Even if they knew where we are, too far to come. You know where Shandong is?”
“Where?”
Young-woo asked sincerely, and Jeong Gu slapped his forehead.
“Idiot, across from Incheon. Know what that means? Across the sea.”
Shandong Province, China.
Closest to Korea by sea route among Chinese regions.
But with travel limited to fast land speed, nowhere was harder to reach than across the ocean.
But.
“Huh?”
Young-woo made a eureka sound, crumpling Jeong Gu’s face.
“Why. What now?”
“Shandong’s across from Incheon, right?”
“That’s what I said.”
“So sharing an entrance with Shandong folks isn’t impossible?”
“What……? Why the hell not.”
Jeong Gu eyed his son anxiously.
The troublesome son spread his hands, then clapped palms together.
Clap!
“Soon the land’ll connect. Like Pangaea!”
“What’s connecting……?”
Jeong Gu’s jaw dropped instantly.
Then, regaining wits, he glared at Young-woo.
“No, seriously… you treating your old man like a retard?”