Chapter 12: Dungeon (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: Dungeon (1)
The weekend arrived without incident.
Seong Si-woo had been quiet since that day.
He looked like he had a lot on his mind. I hoped he'd sort things out soon.
[Jung Hae-in's report has been received.]
A response to my report arrived as well. Realistically, it was unlikely any real action would be taken. The school often turned a blind eye to such loopholes.
But that wasn't what I needed to focus on right now.
In this world, there's a marketplace used by heroes. It's called the 'Auction'.
Everything from magical beast byproducts to equipment, elixirs, and secret manuals was sold on the Auction. But I wasn't looking for items like that today.
‘Dungeons.’
The Auction had a separate tab for dungeons.
When someone discovers a dungeon and reports it to the Association, they are immediately granted the rights to it.
They can then either clear the dungeon themselves, or…
[Goblin Cave]
[Location: Jeongseon, Gangwon Province]
[Seller's Description: A standard goblin dungeon. Nothing special.]
[Price: 57,000,000 KRW]
…they can sell the rights to clear it, like this.
“There it is.”
[Skeleton Cave]
[Location: Taebaek, Gangwon Province]
[Seller's Description: An undead-attribute dungeon. A priest is required.]
[Price: 30,000,000 KRW]
The price might seem cheap, but this dungeon was actually garbage.
Even if you successfully cleared the Skeleton Cave, the only reward was bones.
Only alchemists would buy it for cheap; for regular heroes, it was just a burden.
And to top it off, since it was an undead dungeon, it required a priest, doubling the labor costs.
[Bid]
But I placed a bid anyway.
Its true nature was different.
‘A double dungeon.’
It reveals itself only after a specific ritual is performed before entry.
And the reward from that dungeon…
“I have to get it, no matter what.”
Not long after I hit the bid button, the purchase was confirmed.
[Seller]: Thank you so much for the bid, Alchemist. Please let me know when you're ready to clear it!
It seemed he'd mistaken me for an alchemist.
It was an understandable mistake. Who else would buy a dungeon like this?
As soon as the purchase was complete, I stretched. All that was left was to find a priest.
The best plan was to set out as soon as I found one.
Priests were notoriously hard to find.
Besides, their profession made them notoriously proud, so the reward distribution had to be clearly defined.
I opened the job board next to the Auction tab.
I was about to post a listing when I paused.
[1000_y] [Class: Priest] [Status: Seeking Work] [Details: Rituals and incantations possible. All-around support available.]
[♥:92]
There was a priest looking for work.
Not only a priest, but their specialties were exactly what I needed.
But it looked like nearly a hundred people had already sent them offers.
This one will be difficult to get.
I considered giving up, but then contacted them anyway, figuring I had nothing to lose.
[belief_]: Hello. Are you available immediately, for tomorrow? It's for the Skeleton Cave near Taebaek, Gangwon Province.
[belief_]: The fee is 50 million. Payment will be made after the clear. Therefore, there will be no separate reward distribution.
Excluding a share of the rewards wasn't exactly a favorable condition for a priest. But since the dungeon's rewards were poor anyway, 50 million was a decent offer.
It would probably take a while to get a reply. Honestly, it was more likely I wouldn't get one at all.
In the meantime, I posted my own job listing.
“Priest… as soon as possible… ritual…”
-Ding.
-Ding.
Huh?
I thought it was Sion, but it was the priest.
[1000_y]: Okay.
[1000_y]: Should we leave today?
“Why are they in such a hurry?”
Today was a bit awkward.
Tomorrow seemed better.
[belief_]: No, let's leave tomorrow.
[belief_]: By the way, which temple are you affiliated with?
I asked, checking my watch with a hint of suspicion.
It was strange that they'd replied only to me when there must have been so many other offers.
[1000_y]: Arcadia.
“Good.”
My suspicions vanished.
When it came to priests, Arcadia was a seal of quality. All I had to do was be grateful.
[1000_y]: By the way, you haven't been contacted by any other priests, have you?
[1000_y]: If you have, cut them off.
[belief_]: No, I haven't received any other messages.
[1000_y]: Then I'll see you at the hub at 8 AM.
I never thought I'd find a priest this easily… I was lucky.
I'd heard some people cleared easy dungeons to build up their activity record. They seemed to be that type.
The task at hand was finished anticlimactically. I notified the seller of the 8 AM meeting time and closed my laptop.
Now I just needed to get the materials for the ritual. The preparations weren't complicated.
[Jung Hae-in]: Sion, is the Old Man home right now?
*
The next day, morning came.
At 8 AM on Sunday, the portal hub in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, was quiet.
Since it wasn't an area where dungeons appeared often, the place generally maintained a quiet atmosphere.
“Over here!!”
The seller waved from a distance.
He hurried over and extended a hand for a handshake, which I accepted.
“Hahaha… I didn't expect you to be so young.”
His role today was to guide us to the entrance. He wouldn't be coming with us after that.
Even if he had tried, I would have stopped him.
“By the way, the priest…?”
“They'll be here soon.”
It was the appointed time. The next portal was scheduled to activate in about ten seconds.
They'd probably arrive through that one.
-Vwooom.
With a low hum, the portal opened.
And standing there was a familiar face.
Her neatly combed hair was held back by a headband, and she stood beside an elderly priest.
Cheon Yeo-wool...?
I couldn't believe my eyes.
“Have you been waiting long?… Oh my.”
Cheon Yeo-wool walked toward me with a slight smile.
“What a coincidence. I didn't know it would be you.”
Her companion, the priest, bowed his head to me respectfully.
He wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and continued.
“My apologies… The Saintess Candidate suddenly announced she was going to clear a dungeon, so I had to come and see for myself.”
“Still, seeing that she's with a fellow Gaon student… I can return with peace of mind.”
I understood. Cheon Yeo-wool was an incredibly important figure in Arcadia. Normally, if she were to clear a dungeon, she'd be accompanied by a top-tier support team.
But here she was, about to clear the Skeleton Cave with some no-name. It was no wonder he'd come to check.
I looked her over once more and nodded.
This is good.
Very good.
Cheon Yeo-wool was undoubtedly a skilled priest. Besides, holy rituals were her specialty.
And I had already planned on giving her one of the dungeon's rewards anyway.
“…Shall we get going?”
As I turned to head out, the seller asked cautiously.
“Um… this is for the Skeleton Cave, right?”
“Yes.”
When I answered firmly, he continued, still looking bewildered.
“There's a high chance there's really nothing here…. If you've made some kind of mistake, I can give you a refund…”
He was a conscientious seller, at least. I nodded at his earnestness and replied.
“It's fine. Please lead the way.”
The seller sighed, a troubled look on his face. Then he began to lead us forward.
“Haaah… Understood. This way, please. We can get to the entrance quickly by car.”
And so, we followed the seller's lead toward the dungeon entrance.
Just me and Cheon Yeo-wool. The two of us were the only members. The priest who had been with her had left.
“He's the High Priest.”
“Yeah.”
The kind-looking priest's title was High Priest.
Why on earth would he come all the way out here…?
I stopped thinking about it.
“We're here.”
The seller stopped the car and pointed toward the dungeon entrance.
We had navigated several winding mountain roads and come quite deep into the mountains. But the entrance was truly shabby.
The seller scratched his head and said.
“Hah… I'm telling you, I warned you. I can't give you a refund now.”
“I know.”
I replied, stepping before the shimmering, rippling entrance of the dungeon.
Then I opened my crossbody bag and took out the items I had prepared.
Highest-grade holy water.
A rare item that even the temple struggles to acquire.
I stole it from the Old Man's house. Thanks, Old Man.
Without hesitation, I generously sprinkled the holy water on the ground.
A wave of dense light spread out.
“Holy rituals. What's the highest tier you can perform?”
I asked Cheon Yeo-wool, focusing on sprinkling the water.
“Hmm… As high as you want?”
…What kind of answer is that?
Tiers range from 1 to 9. Tier 1 is for beginners, while Tier 9 is defined as the realm of the gods. Realistically, Tier 8 is the limit.
A typical adult priest can manage up to Tier 3…
It was a bit of a stretch, but.
“Can you manage Tier 3?”
I would have preferred a higher tier, but she was still a student.
But at my words, Cheon Yeo-wool smiled and came closer. Then she whispered softly in my ear.
“You can just be honest. For you, I can do anything.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she took a few steps back.
She clasped her hands and closed her eyes.
As Cheon Yeo-wool's lips began to move rapidly, the holy water I had sprinkled started to glow.
The light was blinding.
I had spread the holy water wide to form a sort of magic circle. And that circle was now glowing with incredible intensity.
“…Sio…calo….”
With her final chant, the holy ritual was complete.
A moment of silence followed.
After a few seconds of waiting, an unbelievable amount of mana erupted from the dungeon entrance.
-WEEEEEOOOO!
An air-tearing alarm blared from the distance.
It was a border alarm, which activated automatically when mana levels exceeded a certain threshold.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Association arrived.
“Let's go in.”
“Okay.”
Cheon Yeo-wool replied calmly and followed me.
The seller, on the other hand, was staring at us, his mouth agape.
His face was a mixture of confusion and shock.
“It's a double dungeon.”
I answered simply and walked past him.
“Please explain the situation to the Association when they arrive.”
With that, Cheon Yeo-wool and I stepped into the dungeon.