Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Merchant Veter's Dungeon Visit
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A day when a light breeze was blowing.
In the middle of an abandoned lot stood a small, shabby building, looking utterly desolate.
It had once been a bustling business hub, but now it was little more than an eyesore.
The few remaining windows in that tiny structure were shattered, and the walls were stained with the marks of time's relentless abuse.
Being in such an out-of-the-way spot, foot traffic had naturally dried up completely.
Only the scattered office supplies and furniture littering the ground bore witness to its former lively days.
In a word, it was a place where time itself had frozen.
Of course, no one was maintaining it.
A few people might use it now and then as a spot for illicit activities, but no one paid it any real attention.
As time wore on, it only grew more eerie and foreboding.
Stepping over the trash strewn across the ground, one could spot a single withered tree standing at the far end.
But up close, the tree looked long dead.
Its trunk had blackened, its branches twisted and shriveled. Only a few ragged, dry leaves clung feebly to it.
There wasn't a shred of life emanating from the tree.
Yet if you peered carefully into the shade beneath it, a bizarre scene unfolded—one that felt like a gateway to another dimension.
The tree's massive roots.
Lifting them revealed a spacious cavity underneath.
Big enough for an adult man to slip inside with ease.
Follow the path where the roots extended, and you'd enter an underground chamber. Tiny sparkling stones and crystals dotted the floor, pushing back the darkness just a bit.
Even the smallest fragments were crafted with exquisite care, hinting at meticulous upkeep by someone.
And right on cue, someone emerged from within.
"Our first trading partner will be the Kobold Dungeon. It's not far from here, so let's head that way, Lord Maru."
Maru, shrouded in his robe, nodded in agreement with Veter's words.
True to his mastery of transformation, Veter had perfectly replicated the appearance of Hunter Ji Sung-min.
At the same time, following Azmo's advice, he'd draped a pure gold necklace around his neck and slipped rings studded with diamonds and gems onto his fingers.
'The more I see, the more incredible he is.'
Veter marveled inwardly even as he pressed onward.
The master's abilities only seemed more astonishing the longer he observed them.
Just take Maru beside him—a being of tremendous power.
Yet the great master commanded such entities without batting an eye.
And that was hardly the half of it.
The dungeon's current location had originally been elsewhere.
The master had relocated it here himself.
'The power to move a dungeon wherever he pleases...'
An unbelievable ability.
But it wasn't the power itself that unnerved him.
The true terror lay elsewhere.
'The master possesses unparalleled insight.'
When he'd shifted the dungeon after the monster wave, Veter had assumed it was just punishment.
But that wasn't the real purpose at all.
A quick glance around made it obvious: this was a forsaken place.
Whatever it had been before, now it was nothing but a trash-strewn wasteland.
'Thanks to that, hardly any humans around.'
Moving it here was probably a gesture of consideration, allowing them to operate freely.
'He must have had the merchant guild in mind even then.'
That explanation made everything click into place.
"Hmm."
Launching the guild from this spot...
Veter scanned the surroundings and found the location surprisingly ideal.
The rundown little building could be refurbished and put back to use with minimal effort.
The master probably planned to incorporate it into the guild as well.
All of it a clever ploy for camouflage by their lord.
Veter's face lit up with a smile of deep respect and awe.
But that only amplified his worries.
'Can I truly keep pace with his designs?'
He shook his head soon after.
He had to strive to comprehend the master's intentions.
No—he had to understand and obey them without fail.
Disappointing him was unthinkable.
Veter clenched his fist, steeling himself to carry out the master's orders to the letter.
Deep in thought, Veter kept moving alongside Maru.
Before long, people started appearing on the streets.
But none spared Veter or Maru a glance.
To anyone watching, Veter screamed "hunter," while Maru looked like a summoned familiar at his beck and call.
A bit farther on, the crowds thinned out dramatically.
Soon enough, the streets were empty save for the two of them.
The dungeon was close now.
Moments later, it came into clear view.
The ground was littered with stones and gravel, a small mountain looming right behind.
And there, directly ahead, was the dungeon Veter sought.
"This is our first trading partner: the Kobold Dungeon, Lord Maru."
The exterior was downright shabby.
An earthen tunnel mouth peeked out amid rocks and pebbles, moss clinging around it to lend a dark, ominous air.
Peer inside, and you'd spot crude stone stairs descending.
"Tch. No surprise it's falling apart."
Veter clicked his tongue under his breath.
Dust blanketed the stairs, a testament to utter neglect.
The dungeon's dilapidated facade planted seeds of doubt in Veter.
'Can we even conduct proper business in a dump that can't handle basic upkeep?'
Even if they did trade, profit seemed dubious at best.
But Veter had no alternatives.
This was the inaugural partner, the spark to ignite the guild.
No other options were viable right now anyway.
"......"
Truth be told, Veter had hustled yesterday.
Per the master's command, he'd hit the Awakener Center first, then pitched to dungeon after dungeon.
All rejections.
Inevitable, really.
There was no merchant guild concept here like on the Eldorado Continent.
Why would anyone trust a stranger—let alone a monster like Veter—enough to trade on first contact?
His sales efforts had bombed.
Or nearly had, until the final stop actually heard him out.
This very Kobold Dungeon.
"Shall we head inside then, Lord Maru?"
Just as Veter and Maru moved to enter...
"H-Hey, hold up a sec!"
Someone popped up out of nowhere, blocking their way.
Daring to impede those on the master's errand.
Outraged, Maru reached for his magic sword.
But the man's words flew faster.
"This is a dungeon! Too dangerous for non-awakeners—are you a hunter or what?"
The speaker was a human man, no hostility in sight.
"As you can see."
Veter gave a curt reply.
Rather than demand why, he just stared the man down.
"Uh... Could you show your hunter license, please?"
The man paused, then held out his hand expectantly.
Veter and Maru weren't licensed hunters, so compliance wasn't obligatory.
But they were undercover as ones now.
With that, Veter fished the license from his pocket.
It belonged to Hunter Ji Sung-min—the man he'd transformed into.
A snippet from the researchers suddenly resurfaced.
Back when Veter was a lab rat, he'd overheard plenty from them.
Including checks on hunters entering dungeons.
A measure to avert catastrophes, apparently.
Veter flashed the license at the man.
"Ah, F-rank hunter? You're cleared for the Kobold Dungeon."
The man glanced at it briefly and handed it back.
"Thanks for cooperating."
The man bowed, and Veter with Maru plunged into the Kobold Dungeon.
Once their footsteps faded down the stone stairs, the man cracked a sleazy grin.
He whipped out his phone and dialed someone.
It connected right away.
"Yeah, boss. Two easy marks just went into the dungeon. Heh."
The man chuckled on.
"Yup, checked 'em out—F-rank hunter. Just one sword between 'em, and the other's decked head to toe in gold and bling? Fresh inside, so tail 'em and jump 'em from behind. Got it."
The call dragged on.
The Kobold Dungeon lay deep underground.
A long descent down the stone stairs finally opened into a corridor.
Irregular flickers from small torches lit the walls stretching into the gloom.
Strange symbols and indecipherable script scarred the stone.
In the torches' feeble glow, alcoves dotted the walls where pint-sized kobolds lounged.
Kobolds had dark gray skin as standard, with oversized ears.
Their compact frames let them thrive in tight quarters.
Veter, though, found it laughable.
'This complacent in a place where intruders could strike anytime...'
What if they were the intruders?
Veter scowled and forged ahead down the passage.
Soon a large chamber yawned open, a kobold at its far end gripping a weapon.
Slightly bulkier than the rest.
The dungeon's master—the one who'd greenlit Veter's pitch yesterday.
"Wel...come?"
The kobold master offered a clumsy greeting.
His speech slurred a touch, but Veter brushed it off.
Researchers had mentioned kobold intelligence ran low.
As Veter stood mute, the kobold pressed on.
"We... danger. Lotsa hunters comin'!"
The dungeon was under threat.
Made sense—the trade request had included troop support or guards for the Kobold Dungeon.
Veter nodded, urging him to go on.
"Troops, please. Gimme anything."
The kobold pleaded with earnest desperation.
But the dungeon's state was dire.
The interiors were on the brink of collapse.
Most goods smashed or vanished.
Traces of brutal combat everywhere.
Putting it together, there looked to be zero loot worth claiming.
"Hmm..."
Veter's doubts resurfaced.
Any other deal, and he'd have bolted.
But he held his ground calmly.
Running a guild meant visiting countless dungeons.
Never judge a book by its cover.
After a beat, Veter spoke up.
"Dungeon Master."
His voice was blunt, clipped.
"I've got your requests down pat. And yeah, we can handle that pronto."
Veter made it sound like child's play.
"But what're you offering us in exchange?"
Manager Azmo had stressed symbiotic dungeon relations from the start.
Sure, vital.
But symbiosis demanded quid pro quo.
Veter's vision for the guild was profit-driven at its core.
Otherwise? Straight charity work.
Give and take was non-negotiable.
Yet this place was a ruin.
Zero maintenance, teetering on oblivion.
First partner or not, was it worth the bother?
'Worth it?'
Plus, that sealed-shut kobold mouth didn't scream "gifts."
Probably zilch.
Decision made, Veter rose slowly.
"Good chat. We'll be going now."
He shot Maru a look and nodded.
Nothing left here.
As they stood, the kobold panicked.
"No! I give. You payment."
He fumbled in his tattered pockets.
Out came something proffered.
"We... only this. Yellow rock. Take it...!"
Gold.
A hefty nugget, no less.
Veter kept a straight face and reseated himself.
"Now we're getting somewhere. That all the yellow rock you've got?"
"No! More! Dungeon underground... tons yellow rock. Mine more."
Veter revised his assessment on the spot.
Prime pick for a debut partner.
He started crunching numbers in his head.
"......"
Misreading Veter's silence as displeasure, the kobold doubled down.
Out came another item from the sack.
A purple stone.
"Purple rock too! Lots underground! We mine!"
Mana stone—that's what it was.
Veter lunged, seizing the kobold's hands in his.
"......?"
The kobold froze, too stunned to pull away.
Veter barreled on.
"Our guild swears to defend this place with our lives. Protecting partners is what we do. Let's start with signing this exclusive contract..."
Veter whipped out a document on the spot.