Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Tail (3)
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Seo Yu-ju was splattered with a bit of blood, but she didn't seem to be injured anywhere.
She'd taken on six guys by herself, finished them even faster than us, and come to help—that alone made me freshly appreciate just how monstrous her combat prowess was.
'A monster.'
"Glad you're unharmed too, Yu-ju. You wrapped things up incredibly fast."
At my words, she seemed to realize she'd finished too quickly and hurriedly started explaining.
"Ah! They were just really weak. It felt like they hadn't fought properly before...! They saw me and got super flustered..."
Seo Yu-ju started rambling on, even volunteering facts no one had asked for.
The more I saw of Seo Yu-ju, the clearer it became: her strength was overwhelming, she wasn't dumb by any means, but she wasn't exactly a genius either.
'Or more precisely... she's got a ditzy side.'
"Ahem...! Anyway, no one's hurt, and everyone fought really well."
"I think they got careless mostly because of us. With just two guys and a bunch of women, they probably thought we were easy pickings. Turns out they'd never seen magic before—they were totally thrown off."
"Yeah... I noticed it too while fighting mine. These guys survived by ambushing people who ran from monsters or traveled in small groups."
Kang I-seo scowled darkly after hearing Seo Yu-ju.
"Fucking sleazy bastards. Must've been scared shitless to fight monsters. Dicks they carry just for decoration..."
Everyone silently agreed. If Seo Yu-ju was right, these scum had chosen killing and looting fellow humans over facing monsters.
"...Anyway, let's get moving."
Seo Yu-ju took the lead, and we followed behind her.
Less than ten minutes after we started moving again, I could feel everyone except Seo Yu-ju sneaking glances at me.
'...My bad.'
They were gauging my mood because I'd acted so differently from usual.
In the heavy silence as we walked, Kang I-seo broke it by talking to me.
"...Damn, you really let loose back there, huh? Caught me off guard. Thought you were some total goody-goody, but for a sec, you looked like the villain. Heh..."
"...I don't usually, but the stress must've built up."
Seo Yu-ju looked utterly baffled hearing our exchange, like two idiots were spouting nonsense.
Ho-won didn't seem to care much, Yu-rim and Yu-hyeon... Yu-hyeon seemed a bit awkward, while Yu-rim acted like it was no big deal.
'Or maybe she's pretending. Gotta probe her later.'
The real issue was Song Ha-eun. She'd been shocked by what she saw and was keeping her distance now. She seemed a little scared of me.
'Ugh... gotta start over from scratch? This is maddening.'
I'd been working so hard to win her favor, and one slip-up ruined it. My plan to impress this future star had nosedived off a cliff.
"Honestly, I liked it more. Felt more human. Come on, who wouldn't curse after getting dragged here? I get it completely~"
'Does this girl have zero awareness, or is she trying to lighten the mood...?'
"Swearing actually looked sexy on you? Kinda my type. Ditch the nice-guy cosplay and just curse and talk casual."
"...No thanks."
"Tch, why stick to that lame nice-guy act when it suits you so well... Just let loose with some curses..."
Kang I-seo's pouty expression left me wondering if she was serious.
'Nah... no way...'
It had to be my imagination that she'd actually like it if I cursed at her.
'Now I'm curious how she'd react if I did.'
While Kang I-seo and I chatted, Seo Yu-ju finally asked, clearly puzzled by our talk.
"What are you two even talking about?"
I coughed awkwardly. Kang I-seo glanced at me with a grin and answered her.
"Oh, you know how Lee Yun-seong got confessed to by their boss? Guy said he liked men and told Yun-seong to join him, and Yun-seong..."
Seo Yu-ju took the joke at face value and stammered in shock.
"W-Wait, really?!"
'Ugh... falling for such a lame prank...'
Seo Yu-ju muttered quietly to herself.
"No way... Yun-seong is..."
I pretended not to hear.
While Kang I-seo teased Seo Yu-ju and people started chatting a bit, Seo Yu-ju halted us and spoke up.
"We're pretty close to the center now. From here on, those who can use mana should sense the surroundings with it as we move slowly."
So Seo Yu-ju, me, Song Ha-eun, and Yu-hyeon—the four who could use mana—probed ahead as we advanced carefully.
About twenty minutes in, I figured Seo Yu-ju, who knew the dungeon's location, would announce it first once we got close enough. But she hadn't said a word.
'...Is she pretending not to notice on purpose?'
The others couldn't see her status window, so they weren't suspicious yet. But her actions so far were beyond normal.
She was leagues ahead in combat, and most guesses and plans had come from her.
Maybe she realized it'd look suspicious if she figured everything out, so she wasn't saying anything this time.
'Hmm... She's leading right, so someone—me or otherwise—will spot it soon.'
Another twenty minutes passed. Then Song Ha-eun panicked.
"Wha—Huh?!"
Congratulations. Someone has discovered the Tutorial Dungeon. Our heartfelt felicitations to those who persevered and found it.
If you clear the dungeon, everyone currently alive—regardless of participation—will enter Eras. The dungeon has moderate difficulty, so we recommend challenging it after some growth.
Song Ha-eun must've sensed the dungeon—it rumbled from underground and revealed itself.
The dungeon appeared before us.
'...Smaller than I thought.'
It looked like a tiny pyramid. Laughable to compare to Egypt's Great Pyramid of Khufu on Earth.
About twenty meters square, fifteen high? Hard to say exactly. From outside, it was pyramid-shaped with a narrow entrance.
The regressor stared at it, face complicated for a while, then spoke.
"...So this is the dungeon. Good work spotting it, Ha-eun."
"Y-Yeah... it's amazing."
Who on Earth had seen a pyramid up close? Far smaller than Earth's, but everyone was awestruck and speechless.
"Fuck... it's huge. We gotta go in there? Sure we can clear it just us?"
As Kang I-seo cursed at the sight, the same voice from Tutorial start rang out.
We cheer for you to clear the dungeon.
The guide warned of the dungeon's difficulty, and anxiety hit me.
'...We can clear this, right?'
I glanced at Seo Yu-ju; her face showed no worry about clearing it. That eased my mind.
After that, the guide's voice faded. Guess that was it.
Ho-won spoke up.
"Seems the briefing's over... Should we really enter now?"
Ho-won looked worried after the warning too.
"...Not today. We'll camp here and challenge tomorrow. I think we can clear it."
Yu-rim, concerned for her sister, asked Seo Yu-ju.
"...Sister, mind sharing why you're so confident?"
"We've got no way to get stronger anymore. Everyone has a job and fitting traits. We've checked every building in all directions. No more places to explore."
"...What about recruiting more fighters from camp?"
Seo Yu-ju slowly shook her head.
"No, the people at camp refuse to fight. That announcement wasn't just for us—they heard it too. Folks who gave up fighting outside monsters gonna join us in something riskier?"
"Then find people out hunting monsters and bring them..."
"Yu-rim. Think back on the guide's words."
"...Not sure what you mean."
"Clearing the dungeon sends everyone alive to Eras, participation or not."
Yu-rim's face lit up in realization.
"...Others have no reason to risk the raid..."
"Exactly. They can just wait for someone else to clear it—no need to risk their lives."
As Seo Yu-ju said, it ended the moment the announcement went out to all. Everyone would wait for someone else.
Someone might argue: why not wait yourselves? But now that everyone heard, we had to clear it ourselves. No one else would risk it.
'Damn... whoever designed this—god or whatever—is a real asshole.'
I wondered about the first round without a regressor.
'Pure hell.'
They'd probably procrastinated until food ran low, then forced each other in.
Maybe my dark idea from before actually happened.
Seo Yu-ju's words snapped me out of it.
"Point is, from the announcement on, we have no choice but to clear it."
There was another option: drag people here and shove them in first.
We enter too, let them tank—difficulty plummets. Dying to dungeon or monsters ahead is the same to us.
But no one here would think it. Their minds would reject it.
Because they're all good people.
Only twisted folks like me could conceive and do it.
A dark feeling welled up, but I swallowed it.
Everyone silently agreed with Seo Yu-ju.
"...No objections? We'll camp here. Set watch rotations, sleep, eat breakfast tomorrow, then enter."
Everyone nodded.