Wait a Minute!!!
"H-Hey, hold on a second!!!"
Nam-gung Yun shouted frantically, chasing after me.
"I'm picking up the pace. I won't stop to help if you can't keep up, so follow at your own risk. Explorer class gets an agility bonus, right?"
He grabbed the hand I extended. The moment we partied up, just as I'd predicted, the White Swamp's first discoverer privilege applied to me too.
Dungeon: Narita Basin's White Swamp
• +10% stat acquisition for 1 week upon entry
• +5% experience gain for 1 week upon entry
• +5% monster drop rate for 1 week upon entry
• +2 to all stats for 1 week upon entry
Compared to the Sword's Tomb, the White Swamp wasn't a hidden dungeon, so there were some differences. The level-up buff was reduced, but since the stat acquisition buff I needed remained intact, I'd achieved my goal.
Boom!
Crash!
Kaboom!!
At the White Swamp's midpoint, I spotted another swamp teeming with Cu-kan dwellers and began sprinting while liberally scattering my newly crafted Gakchwi Powder.
White Swamp's 10 Poison Toads killed by explosion damage.
White Swamp's 25 Swamp Crocodiles killed by fire damage.
White Swamp's 17...
White Swamp's...
Endless alerts poured in. Deeper into the swamp, some monsters survived the Gakchwi Powder's damage, but I didn't bother fighting them one by one—I just broke through.
'What... what the hell?! Is this even possible?'
Nam-gung Yun gaped at Do-hyun, who barreled ahead without a backward glance amid the explosions erupting everywhere.
"Monster..."
It was the perfect description—he was sweeping through like a storm. Nam-gung Yun was speechless, having leveled up in seconds just from trailing behind.
[Hunting's tough enough with just us—why drag along an extra? Might as well kill the guy and let you claim the dungeon perks fresh.]
Black Eye grumbled, eyeing Nam-gung Yun struggling to keep up.
But I shook my head at his words.
'Sure, the perks would reset if he died before we cleared it. But I can't claim them myself.'
[Why not?]
'The perks go to the next discoverer, but since I entered while he was still alive, his death wouldn't change that—I've already "discovered" the White Swamp.'
[Hmph... unavoidable, then.]
If I'd discovered it after his death, maybe—but entering while he lived meant no perks for me.
[So that's why you said you got lucky. Him being alive was the only way to snag the benefits.]
'Exactly.'
I nodded at Black Eye's words.
[Still, stay cautious. Types like him always have a snake or two coiled in their gut.]
'Don't worry. Whatever scheme that kid's cooking, I'm the one using him.'
My battle-hardened experience dwarfed his by miles.
"..."
I glanced back at Nam-gung Yun hustling to catch up.
He'd introduced himself as an Explorer from the Deus Union. While investigating the Land of Savages on a commission from the Six Alliances, he'd stumbled on the White Swamp.
Non-combat Explorer class players got bonus experience and stats for discovering new terrain, dungeons, or monsters. That's why the info-hoarding Six Alliances contracted hordes of Explorers, funding their gear in exchange for intel.
Nam-gung Yun was one such Explorer. But he'd entered the dungeon without Six Alliances approval, mistaking me for one of their enforcers come to kill him.
His story checked out on the surface—no red flags.
But digging deeper revealed inconsistencies.
'Did he really blunder into the White Swamp by accident?'
Explorers earned bigger rewards for tougher undiscovered areas, often unlocking new skills or traits.
'Narita Basin, smack in the continent's center, is mostly unexplored. The White Swamp would be prime real estate for an Explorer.'
But...
'Entry level limit's just 25. Sure, it's meaningless, but for a field dungeon like this—not even hidden—is it worth risking the Six Alliances' wrath?'
I didn't buy it. Early servers had uncountable undiscovered dungeons. No need to piss off the worst clan around for this one.
'Unless...'
What if Nam-gung Yun hadn't slipped in by chance or mistake, but deliberately ignored his commission to enter the White Swamp?
'Not impossible. Even if hiding from pursuit, why push midway instead of camping the entrance?'
It might not just be evasion.
'Maybe the White Swamp was the goal. Or... he used the Six Alliances to get here.'
As mentioned, the Six Alliances had gone all-in to dominate Dimension World 2's eight great clans, toppling Britain's Kingdom Clan for info supremacy. They lavished support on Explorers for that reason.
'If Nam-gung Yun contracted them not to scout the Land of Savages, but to fund gear for targeting the White Swamp...'
Anyone knowing their rep wouldn't double-cross lightly. The Alliances bankrolled Explorers knowing that.
'So why risk it all for the White Swamp? What's the draw?'
I racked my brain.
'Any Explorer-related rewards or relics in there?'
Despite claiming he wanted out, he'd delved deeper. And for dodging pursuit, his dungeon-clearing skills were lacking.
'No way he could solo the old monsters alone.'
Conclusion: Not hunting rewards, but discovery items inside.
'No way...'
A thought flickered, but it was too soon to conclude.
'Game's been live less than a month, central continent barely mapped—how would he know a White Swamp hidden piece?'
Unbelievable, but if a discovery item, only one fit.
'Valder's Butterfly Wings.'
The White Swamp housed the boss, Crocodile Turtle, and a hidden boss: the massive World Tree Valder, lacking offense but sheltering hundreds of Tombglow Butterflies.
Instance dungeon with branching spaces, but forest-like, so it had day-night cycles. By day, Valder's butterflies looked like plain white ones. At night? Totally different.
'Their wings carry special phosphorus called Fahwarin—absorbing light by day, glowing pale green at night. Slight friction? Instant blaze.'
One? Fine. Hundreds? Dragon breath-level inferno, uncontrollable chain reaction.
'Breath you can dodge by trajectory, but these explode right beside you...'
One slip? Game over, plus resurrection penalty—huge time sink.
White Swamp hidden piece or not, I had no plans for Valder's spot. Time was limited, deadline tight. Risk outweighed reward.
'I'll grab it someday, but not now.'
Hunting old monsters was risky too, but their drops were useful—unlike the wings.
'Butterfly Wings allow short-range teleport. Great ability, but limited to places you've visited before.'
With most continent areas new to me since pushing out, utility was low.
'For an Explorer bouncing between spots, tempting maybe...'
But not worth my attention.
"Hm..."
At a White Swamp fork, I halted.
'Issue is, if he knew about the Tombglow Butterflies and targeted it, where'd he get that intel?'
"Huff... huff..."
Nam-gung Yun caught up, panting heavily.
He'd bandaged his dagger wound with what looked like a First Aid skill—bleeding had stopped.
"Handy with treatment."
"Nothin' special. Picked it up getting beat up here and there."
"Hm?"
Explorers dealt with injuries, but rarely frontlined combat. Yet his words sounded like a veteran's nonchalance.
A mentor? That'd explain a hidden quest for scouting the Swamp.
'Problem's the quest NPC.'
Players were wild cards from here on, but NPCs stuck to my dream-memories.
'Who'd crave Tombglow wings this early? One guy.'
I squinted at Nam-gung Yun.
'No way he's connected to that one?'
Not impossible. Dreams had no players— they were singularities, bending events.
"You."
Enough speculation. Only he held answers.
Among countless hypotheses, one conclusion: Verify directly.
This chance encounter might spark changes bigger than I'd imagined.
"Yeah?"
Nam-gung Yun looked up slowly at my call. Sweat-soaked, fatigue etched on his half-healed face, but I asked flatly,
"What's your connection to the Mountain King?"