Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Nayeo-ju Saves the World
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“It's already the last day.”
I patted my full belly, satisfied from the lunchbox Seong Yona had packed for me, and said.
“Yeah, it came up fast. The Association's coming in directly after this, right, Unnie?”
“Yeah, but we've swept everything so clean they won't find much even if they do.”
“True. We worked our butts off.”
I nodded in agreement at Lee Yu-eul's words and popped a cherry tomato into my mouth.
We were now near the boss room where we'd linked up with the Taesan Guild.
Over the past few days, we'd cleared not just the right path where we'd hunted monsters, but the opposite fork as well.
Turned out the left path was much shorter once we walked it.
And yet they were still behind us—proof of the unavoidable skill gap.
“No monsters here either, so it's cozier than I expected.”
I sat on the floor, propping myself up with my hands behind me, and said.
The bizarrely intense heat had faded with time, and with the temperature-regulating dungeon uniform I was wearing, this flame dungeon felt more like a pleasantly warm sauna. My whole body was relaxed and languid.
As I massaged my sore muscles from days of nonstop mining, my eyes caught the boss room door, ajar at an angle.
“Even this place feels like a dormant volcano now.”
I craned my neck to peer inside. The lava that had once flowed endlessly had long since hardened into solid rock.
Using the detector, there didn't seem to be any mana stones left, so we'd decided not to bother mining the boss area.
“I just keep wanting to go in.”
“Do you want to check the boss room again?”
Kang Han asked, having overheard my mutter.
“Yeah. But is it safe?”
“No monsters, no volcanic activity. Should be fine.”
He double-checked by scanning the interior before answering.
“Alright, then I'll head in. Anyone coming with?”
“Me!”
“I'll come too.”
I'd figured they'd all want to rest, but surprisingly, every guild member raised their hand.
“Ccong!”
Of course, Na Baek-ho lifted his front paw eagerly too.
Then he hurried to stand by my side, looking anxious like he was afraid we'd leave him behind.
“Well, we're all stuffed anyway. Shall we take one last look around before exiting the gate?”
Hmm.
I hadn't exactly anticipated this situation.
“Kruuung...”
“Kyak!”
The change hit the moment we flung open the boss room door and stepped inside.
The two combat familiars' demeanors shifted in an instant.
Baek-ho bristled all over, on high alert toward the spot where the dungeon's boss, the Magma Golem, had once stood. Baek Young half-reared up, baring his teeth.
Maengi trembled anxiously before diving straight into Im Cheong-su's hood.
“Baek-ho, it's okay. There's nothing there anymore.”
“Kruhung.”
Na Baek-ho eased up a bit at my words but still sniffed around incessantly, his discomfort plain as day.
Confirming there was no real danger nearby, just as I'd said.
It was endearing, the way these young ones bared their rice-grain teeth to protect us.
But to prove it was truly safe, I took the lead and started walking forward.
“Kyawung!”
“I told you, it's fine. Come here.”
Baek-ho stuck close to my side right away.
If I planned to keep him in the guild long-term, that was one thing.
But I couldn't keep separating him from me every time I entered a dungeon, leaving him to suffer separation anxiety forever.
So this relatively safe environment was the perfect chance to help him get used to gate conditions.
“Wung?”
Just as I'd expected.
Before long, Baek-ho, Baek Young—even Maengi, who'd been hiding—started to relax.
And at some point, curiosity overtook caution, and they reverted to their usual playful selves.
Watching the baby familiars frolic in a space that had once hosted a brutal battle—it healed even me, who had lingering unease about nearly dying here.
Baek Young, surprisingly, took a special liking to the boss room.
He seemed to love the rough, gritty floor texture, rolling around, occasionally rubbing his back against rocks, utterly enjoying himself.
That was when it happened.
“Hey, Im Maengi!”
Startled by Im Cheong-su's shout, I turned to see Maengi hopping off excitedly toward somewhere.
“That's where the boss was standing.”
“Ah, that little guy's gonna get himself in trouble! Im Maengi! Why are you going there?!”
With an irate Im Cheong-su in the lead, the rest of us humans and familiars naturally dashed toward the volcano's center.
Fortunately, the former crater had cooled to a pitch-black solidity too.
“If you go running off like that on your own, I might never bring you to a dungeon again...”
Pok pok!
“What, you want us to dig here?”
“Chit!”
Maengi, positioned slightly off-center from the main vent, bobbed his head vigorously and stomped his tiny feet again.
A chill ran down my spine.
Treasure Hunt.
One of Maengi's abilities.
“G-give me a pickaxe!”
In my haste, I thrust out my hand toward the guild members and yelled.
But Kang Han gently pushed my hand aside and said.
“I'll take care of it.”
“Me too! What good is having a strong shield if not for this?”
With that, Kang Han and Jang Su-ho stripped off even their dungeon uniforms and grabbed shovels and pickaxes.
Thud! Crack!
The hardened lava crumbled like Lego bricks under the swings of S-rank and A-rank hunters.
Thoom! Thud!
We just stood there for a while, listening to the sounds of rock-breaking.
Behind me, the twins, Im Cheong-su, and Han Ji-seong seemed to be chatting, but I couldn't even open my mouth.
The Magma Golem's status window—the boss I'd finished off—finally popped into my head late.
In the guerrilla jungle dungeon before, the Crocodile King I'd taken down had grown strong by devouring a holy relic.
And this Magma Golem was the same.
Yet the only item I'd gotten as the finisher was that ruby-like golem core.
So whatever had boosted it to 'C+' was obviously still somewhere in this dungeon!
You idiot, Nayeo-ju!
Thank goodness Maengi found it. If I'd forgotten and left, I'd have kicked myself sick.
As I rubbed my belly with those thoughts, a different sound rang out from under Jang Su-ho's vigorously plunged shovel.
Twaang!
“Something's down there.”
“Dig! Keep digging!”
At my urging, Jang Su-ho shoveled a few more times, and soon a small box emerged.
The plain iron box resembled a safe, utterly unadorned except for a small keyhole up front.
Wait, no way.
With trembling hands, I plunged into my subspace and rummaged wildly.
In Sejong Curtain, Sama Young cleared an A-rank gate.
And inside, he picked up an insane item.
The key point: at that time, the Sama Guild was gobbling up mid-tier guilds left and right.
Including the Taesan Guild we'd just merged with—and whatever guild was originally slated to bid on the glacier dungeon we'd mined first.
“Th-that...”
Lee Yu-chan recognized the key I'd pulled out, his eyes widening behind his glasses.
I wanted to explain properly, but there wasn't time.
Not even sure if this was the right key.
But as if mocking my doubts, the key slid perfectly into the iron box's hole.
Click.
The box sprang open with a small sound.
“That's... it opens with that?”
Someone muttered, and I nodded inwardly.
Yeah, exactly.
But my shaking hands were already prying open the iron box and lifting out its contents.
The box's bottom was deeper than expected, and just then, my fingertips touched something round.
If this is it, we're talking jackpot.
“Hoo.”
After a small deep breath, I pulled out the object that fit neatly in one hand.
An antique compass. The red needle on one side spun wildly—meaning no 'Land of Dreams' nearby.
Finding this here, of all places.
“Maengi.”
“Chit?”
“You're the absolute best.”
Watching the needle spin lazily, an unstoppable grin bubbled up.
“Heh heh, heh heh heh.”
The very item that had ended up in Sama Young's hands—turning readers' stomachs despite being unneeded— was now in mine.