Chapter 57: Alchemist’s Dungeon (2)
Chapter 57: Alchemist’s Dungeon (2)
“Let’s change formation for a moment.”
“Huh? Ah. Yes. How…?”
“Single file, behind me. The person behind should grab the collar of the person in front. Once you grab on, you must not let go.”
Normally, they would have questioned why, but as soon as the words left my mouth, the kids moved swiftly. There was a brief commotion, but soon I felt Ahn Sol, who had claimed the spot right behind me, grin and grab hold of my collar. I had a pretty good idea why they were suddenly moving so quickly.
After confirming that Ahn Sol, Yoojung, and Ahn Hyun were lined up behind me in that order, I continued in a calm voice.
“The space we are about to enter is called a Path Barrier. If we stray from the path even slightly, we could be separated from each other instantly. So, do not let go of the person in front of you. Absolutely. Do not let go. If possible, it’s best to step exactly in my footprints. And… no, that’s all. Let’s go.”
I wanted to add that they shouldn’t be surprised no matter what happened, but I deliberately held my tongue. Even I couldn’t predict what kind of scene would unfold before us. I composed myself and slowly took one step at a time.
The kids were following my instructions diligently, but I could still feel their occasional gazes, afloat with questions. For now, I kept Third Eye active and proceeded with caution.
One step. Two steps. Three… My eyes were fixed on the ground as I followed the tracks, but I could feel that I was heading in the right direction. The color of the grass surrounding us was returning to its original, brilliant hue. The occasional gasps of admiration from behind me only strengthened my conviction.
That didn’t mean the Alchemist’s Dungeon would appear right away. The kids might have been following me with carefree minds, but I was walking with intense concentration, tracing every single sign. Maintaining Third Eye for an extended period was by no means an easy task.
How much time had passed?
“Hoo. You can let go now.”
We had fully entered the barrier and arrived at our destination. After nearly forty minutes of tracking, the strange atmosphere that had enveloped us seemed to have completely vanished. I took a deep breath and felt the hand that was still clutching my collar. It had been tugging on it every so often, which was really getting on my nerves.
I turned my head slightly and grabbed the back of Sol’s hand to make her let go. A soft, warm sensation traveled up from my palm. When I took her hand, Ahn Sol looked at me with a startled expression, her face quickly turning crimson. I was just trying to get her to let go because it was annoying…
She twisted her palm to grasp my hand, refusing to let go. After I forcibly pried her hand away, I gestured to the others with a flick of my fingers. At my signal, Hyun and Yoojung quickly gathered by my side. They were all just staring blankly at my face, so I pulled them further inside.
“Whoa…”
Ahn Hyun gasped at the sight of the old marble castle standing tall before us. When I pointed forward, Sol and Yoojung also stared at the castle with dazed expressions. After seeing nothing but a dark, gloomy forest, the sight of a castle surrounded by brilliantly colored foliage seemed to have left them speechless.
After a while of just staring, Ahn Hyun finally spoke, his voice filled with awe.
“This castle is…”
“I believe this is Ancient Alchemist Vivian’s Dungeon… though we’ll only know for sure once we go inside.”
Watching the awestruck kids, I felt a surge of pride. I’d agonized over which Unique Ability to choose. I’d selected Third Eye despite the many other extraordinary abilities because it seemed the most versatile and efficient option in Hall Plain. During my first run, caves and dungeons had been difficult to find no matter how much effort I put in, so discovering one now with only a little information convinced me I’d chosen well.
“Hyung… I had my doubts, but I never thought you’d actually find it.”
“Neither did I. I just followed the tracks and my gut… I guess you could call it beginner’s luck.”
Hyun’s eyes were filled with admiration as he looked at me. I replied humbly. He was going to experience things like this every time I decided to go exploring, so what would he do if he was already this surprised? But this wasn’t a time for pure celebration. Right now, everyone was marveling at the peaceful scenery surrounding them, but I knew better than anyone how hellish it was inside.
“Hee hee. Oppa, the castle is so pretty. When you said dungeon, I was imagining some weird, gloomy facility.”
You’re right. That’s exactly what you’ll find once we go inside and head underground. I answered Yoojung’s mutter only in my head. I didn’t want to ruin the mood yet. Ahn Sol spoke as well, her face filled with excitement.
“It feels like looking at a real fortress. Something you’d only see in the movies…”
As Sol spoke with a dreamy look in her eyes, I could see a bitter expression flash across Hyun’s face. I didn’t know why, but I had a feeling the word “movies” was the keyword.
Yoojung looked like she was dying to go inside. Her body language was full of excitement as she moved ahead to hurry me along. Just a moment ago, they had been so dejected, but a simple change of scenery had completely altered their behavior. They were quite moody, it seemed.
“Oppa, you’re amazing. I swear the castle wasn’t here when we passed by earlier, right? How on earth did you find something like this?”
“Who knows. I guess I’m just lucky.”
“Aww, come on. I know Oppa is always looking at records and stuff. So you really did pluck a star from the sky, just like Oppa said?”
I only smiled faintly at Yoojung’s words. Kim Hanbyul suddenly came to mind. I didn’t know what she was doing now, but if she had come with us… I shook my head. She and Yoojung would probably have spent the entire trip arguing point by point.
In any case, it was too early to relax. No, it wasn’t just early; this was where it all began. As I started walking toward the castle, the kids scrambled to follow me.
“Hold on.”
I stopped in front of the castle gate. There were definitely tracks leading inside, which meant the caravan that discovered this dungeon had already entered. This time, however, I was able to pick up the tracks of five people in total. Either there were five of them from the start, or one of them had died on the way here. I tilted my head for a moment, then cautiously opened the gate blocking our path.
*
“Whew.”
“Ooh…”
We had finally entered the great castle. Once inside, the kids’ heads were swiveling around, completely absorbed in taking in the interior. The castle’s circular lobby could hardly be called tidy. Broken chairs and shattered windows were everywhere. It had an antique charm, but contrary to its outward appearance, a slightly gloomy aura lingered in the air.
Still, the ceiling made of white marble was a pleasant sight. A large, circular dome supported by marble pillars. In some ways, it bore a strong resemblance to a European church.
“What the heck? There are no treasures or monsters. Did someone already clean the place out?”
“……”
Did she truly think it would be that easy? At Yoojung’s disappointed remark, I briefly pressed a hand to my forehead, then raised my other arm and pointed toward the center. A wooden door fitted with an iron ring lay flush with the floor in that direction.
“Ooh. A secret base.”
“…It’s a door to the underground prison. How old are you, calling it a secret base…”
“Tch. Same difference. Oppa, you always pick on me.”
It seemed finding the castle had gotten her excited again. A moment ago, she was like a puppy with its tail between its legs, but now she was starting to get cheeky again. I decided to let it slide for now and took a step back.
The original meaning of “dungeon” is an underground prison. The absence of monsters in the castle lobby was surprising, if anything. However, it wasn’t completely incomprehensible. It was possible there were no monsters here to begin with, or that the caravan that entered earlier had already taken care of them. But given the lack of bodies or signs of battle, the former seemed highly likely.
“So, we just go in through here?”
“That’s right. We can’t just find it and go back after only looking at the outside.”
I gave a simple nod and grabbed the handle. It looked quite heavy, but it was no match for my Strength stat, which was already approaching 94. With a single heave, the door opened with a grating creak. A large, square hole now gaped in the floor.
“It doesn’t look too deep. I’ll go first, so follow me one by one.”
As soon as I finished speaking, I jumped. The faintly visible floor below rushed up to meet me, and I landed with a thud. Seeing that I had landed without any trouble, Hyun and Yoojung nodded to each other and jumped in at the same time.
Another thud, and a cloud of dust rose. Ahn Hyun, who had excellent physical stats to begin with, looked unfazed. Yoojung, however, was kneeling on one knee, clutching her foot. I approached her, a bad feeling creeping in. She looked up, her face crumpling as she spoke.
“Ugh… I messed up the landing.”
Hyun and I sighed in unison at the sight of her teary face. I looked up and saw Sol still hesitating at the top. She faltered for a moment, but after Hyun said, “If you’re left alone, a ghost will get you,” she squeezed her eyes shut and jumped. It seemed she didn’t want to be left alone. I watched as she leaped gracefully… wait, she closed her eyes?
“Catch me!”
Sol shrieked as she descended, her eyes shut tight. Hyun and I just stared at each other blankly and tilted our heads. Yoojung looked at us with an exasperated expression and sighed. Look who’s sighing.
Splat!
“Kyaa!”
I heard the sound of something soft being crushed. With a short scream, Sol fell unceremoniously to the floor. She rubbed her bottom a few times as if it hurt, then looked up at us, her face a mask of betrayal. It seemed she really hadn’t expected that no one would catch her.
As I watched Sol pout at us, something felt wrong. She had landed bottom-first, yet instead of a thud I’d heard something soft being crushed. I quickly circulated mana to enhance my eyesight. And then…