Chapter 88: The Ruined Laboratory
Chapter 88: The Ruined Laboratory
After the intense battle, I decided to take a long rest. It felt a little early, but that single fight had drained too much of the kids’ stamina. Yoojung’s face lit up at my decision, and she immediately dropped onto her backside, only to leap up again with a scream.
“Ugh… It’s horrible.”
The area around us was littered with the corpses of the Dead. I was fine, but Yoojung and Sol, who still had weak stomachs, were desperate to move somewhere else. Fulfilling their wishes, I walked toward the room the Dead had emerged from. It might have been crawling with them just moments ago, making it a bit unsettling, but it was still better than a place covered in corpses.
I had expected a scene resembling a laboratory, but the room’s interior defied my expectations. The space was smaller than I thought—so small that I wondered how so many of the Dead could have possibly come out of it.
I could see old, broken beds and bookshelves. I couldn’t afford to overlook a single detail. While the party rested, I scanned every corner of the room, searching for any piece of information.
As I moved around alone while the others sat, Jung Hayeon let out a quiet sigh and joined me. Shin Sangyong rose as well, prompting the kids to scramble to their feet. By then, however, I had already surveyed most of the room with Third Eye.
“Leader. Did you find anything?”
Shin Sangyong asked, his eyes sparkling. His stutter certainly vanished whenever something interesting came up. I shook my head.
“No. I’ve looked everywhere, but there’s nothing much to see.”
After speaking, I showed them about thirty gold in coins and a record book written in ancient script.
“Eh… Only 30 gold? That’s harsh.”
Ahn Hyun’s dissatisfied voice rang out. Having just finished a difficult battle, he seemed to be comparing this haul with the tidy profit we had earned from the goblins in the clearing. Yoojung and Sol apparently felt the same way; disappointment showed on their faces. Shin Sangyong, however, reacted differently.
“Excellent. 30 gold from searching a single room. Hahaha. Ah. Could you let me see that journal for a moment? I have the ability to decipher ancient languages.”
“Of course.”
Useful, just as I thought. I handed over the record book without hesitation. He pushed up his dust-covered glasses and began deciphering it. His Ancient-Language Deciphering ability was only D-minus rank, but even that was a respectable rank—by ordinary User standards, at least.
About enough time to drink a cup of tea passed. As I was blankly chewing on some beef jerky, he finished his work and handed the journal back. I swallowed the jerky and spoke.
“Did you find out anything? Any important information?”
“Hmm. No, there was nothing like that. The text is in a diary format. It seems this room was once used by a single Resident. There wasn't much of note. However… there were strangely a lot of entries about a spear. ‘I couldn’t train with the spear today,’ ‘I disposed of the failed experiments with the spear,’ and so on. But I’m having a hard time finding any connection to a laboratory.”
“A spear?”
Failed experiments. When Ahn Hyun raised his spear and asked again, Shin Sangyong nodded. His answer sparked a thought, and my eyes lit up. It might simply have been talk of a spear, but I had a feeling it could be a clue connected to the Aura Spearman. Nothing was certain yet. Still, even if it was only a possibility, there was no harm in searching every corner of a dungeon we had already entered.
Starting with the journal, Shin Sangyong and I began discussing the laboratory. The rest of the party listened while they rested, and even Jung Hayeon simply took in Shin Sangyong’s words. It seemed that while she might be superior in combat, Shin Sangyong was more skilled in this kind of dungeon exploration.
“Here’s what I think. Based on the building’s exterior, the laboratory must have at least three floors. I can’t guess the exact size of the first floor, but if we assume the hall we were just in is the center, there’s a high probability that paths branch out in all four cardinal directions. Excluding the way we came in, the stairs to the second floor must be in one of the remaining directions.”
“Yes. Hmm. I think… it would be better to completely clear the first floor before aiming for the second, rather than rushing upstairs.”
I had no idea where the Aura Spearman might be sleeping. Unaware of my thoughts, Shin Sangyong nodded emphatically when I said we would proceed safely.
“That’s the right choice. Even clearing just this first floor will take at least a day. It’s larger than it looks. And the second floor could have even more vicious enemies than the first. It would be better to secure a minimum safe zone before heading up, assuming the worst-case scenario.”
Shin Sangyong often used the word “minimum.” People who use such words frequently tend to unconsciously plan for the worst. They create countermeasures based on their own assumptions of the worst possible outcome. While it might seem a bit frustrating to others, it was a habit that was certainly helpful for survival.
The kids’ faces fell when they heard it would be difficult to clear the laboratory in a day. Ahn Sol, in particular, shivered, as if the thought of having to sleep here had just occurred to her. Noticing her reaction, Shin Sangyong spoke in a cautious tone.
“Alternatively, we could clear the first floor and then return to the city. Regrouping before tackling the second floor is the safest method. Of course, it would take a bit more time.”
I shook my head firmly at his words. With just me and Vivian, I was confident we could conquer this place in half a day. No, not even six hours. Going back was out of the question. Shin Sangyong didn’t look particularly displeased, likely thinking it was still manageable.
Clear one floor completely, then move to the next. And even if we had to stay for a few days, we would conquer it all in one go before returning to the city. The rest of the party listened in silence, and no one voiced any direct opposition. With that, I accepted a bottle of water from Jung Hayeon, finalizing our initial exploration goal for the laboratory.
Normally, I limited breaks to five or ten minutes, but this was a long rest. The initial battle had been so fierce that I wanted everyone to be fully recovered before we set out again. As we all ate our supplies in silence, I saw Jung Hayeon, who had been sitting with her eyes closed, slowly open them. Her gaze was fixed on me. I met her eyes, and we exchanged a look.
As I stared into her deep eyes, Jung Hayeon’s lips parted slightly.
“Soohyun-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“I have a question.”
“Yes.”
“Are you really a Year 0 User?”
“Yes.”
My simple answers sent a small ripple across Jung Hayeon’s calm face. But she quickly composed herself and narrowed her elegant eyes. Normally, I’d find such an expression irritating on someone else, but when Jung Hayeon did it, it felt like a sophisticated gesture, imbued with a strange sort of dignity.
“I’m sorry. But I want to say what’s on my mind. I don’t know what you’ll think of this, but… I can’t believe what I’m seeing with my own eyes. To be honest, the monsters just now weren’t something a Year 0 User could handle alone.”
Her tone held more surprise than suspicion. Still, it was clear she was thinking about how I had single-handedly held off the Dead at the front. This time, however, my heart didn’t pound, nor did I wonder how I should act to deceive her. I was planning to gradually reveal my skills anyway, and if I were to stammer now, it would only make me more suspicious.
“Is that so? I didn’t find it particularly difficult.”
“How on earth did you fight them?”
“It’s simple. Their only advantage over me was their numbers. The way to leverage that advantage is through well-coordinated formations or a war of attrition. But they just mindlessly pushed forward. In that case, all you have to do is counter their attacks, deflect them, and use their momentum against them. In other words, focus entirely on defense.”
“…Is it really as easy as it sounds? I’m not so sure. Have you ever learned to use a sword in the modern world?”
I nodded readily at her question.
“I have, but I don’t think it has much to do with this. I just understand the situation in front of me and come up with the optimal solution in my head. Then I just have to put that into action.”
“Soohyun-ssi, you really are a genius.”
“I wonder. I’ve never once thought of myself as a genius. I just put in the effort.”
“Hehe. Th-The Leader really is remarkable. Hayeon-ssi, you should stop now. There’s nothing bad about the Leader being strong. Besides, whether he is a Year 0 User can be confirmed at the User Academy, and his companions are right here.”
At Shin Sangyong’s intervention, Jung Hayeon’s face flushed, and she immediately bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. As I kept talking, it turned into an interrogation. I hope I haven’t offended you too much. Your abilities were simply that astonishing, Soohyun-ssi.”
“The word ‘genius’ did sting a little. I’ll let it go for now. But from now on, please don’t carelessly judge the results of my efforts by your own standards.”
At my words, Jung Hayeon lowered her head with an embarrassed expression. My words had a bite to them, and she understood they were aimed at her.
“Ahem, ahem.”
As expected, the kids could not follow such a serious conversation. Who knew—if Kim Hanbyul had been here, she might have understood and joined me in snapping back at Jung Hayeon. But when they heard me being praised, Yoojung and the others stiffened their necks and straightened their backs. Wait. I’m the one being praised, so why are they acting proud?
Ignoring my thoughts, Yoojung puffed out her chest and began to speak. The action made her prominent breasts stand out, and Shin Sangyong turned his head away with an awkward look. Judging by his occasional coughs, that guy was definitely a virgin.
“Hoho. Unni, you have no idea how ama~zing our Oppa is. You went through the User Academy too, Unni, right?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“Our Oppa ranked first in his class—first overall. Do you know how hard the clan-affiliated instructors tried to recruit Oppa? They even replaced the instructor assigned to Oppa’s dormitory with a female User. It was hilarious watching her fawn over Oppa.”
“Oh, my. Is that so? He was that sought after?”
Jung Hayeon’s eyes widened as Yoojung rattled on with her proud, excited boasts. The title of being first at the User Academy was certainly a useful one. Ahn Sol, who was listening from the side, chimed in to support Yoojung’s story.
“Yeees. That’s right. Even the famous Golden Lion Clan made Orabeoni an offer twice. Ahem.”
“The, the Golden Lion Clan? Wow. They rarely make offers to new Users.”
“Hehe. Because our Orabeoni is the best.”
Please stop. This is embarrassing.
“But why did you turn down the Golden Lion Clan? Ah. I’m just really curious. I don’t mean anything by it.”
Before Shin Sangyong’s awe could even fade, Jung Hayeon’s question flew in. She had nodded as if the mention of the Golden Lion Clan made sense, but then she asked again in a tone that suggested she couldn’t understand. This time, however, it was Ahn Hyun who answered, not me. Seriously, can you guys give me a chance to speak?
“It was because of us. Hyung and the rest of us have been together since the Rite of Passage. We weren’t offered places in that clan; only Hyung was. In a way, we held him back, so we’ve always felt guilty.”
“No. You don’t have to be sorry. You did the right thing.”
“?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Jung Hayeon, who had suddenly uttered something incomprehensible. She looked a little flustered, as if she had answered almost reflexively. Ahn Hyun tilted his head for a moment before continuing.
“Anyway, I guess he felt bad about leaving us behind. Just like Sol said, he rejected the Golden Lion Clan’s offer right in front of us on graduation day.”
“I almost cried then. Thinking about it, Oppa had been different ever since the Rite of Passage.”
“Right. Without Soohyun-hyung, I don’t know whether we would have made it through that place. Phew.”
Only then did Jung Hayeon turn to look at me with a new light in her eyes. Ahn Hyun and Yoojung were painting my face with gold, but even pleasant words become tiresome after a while. As their praise showed no sign of stopping, a wave of embarrassment began to wash over me.
I cleared my throat and declared the break was over. We had rested enough, and the tense atmosphere had dissipated, so it was time to resume our exploration. This was a sizable laboratory, so we needed to move quickly.
After leaving the room, the party fell silent once more. We stepped over the scattered bodies of the Dead and ventured deeper inside.