The Hidden Dungeon (4)

I entered the dungeon with Jin-hwan, Ah-ra, Jin-ri, and Ji-ah.

It looked like the other kids had entered as well, but no one was visible nearby.

“Where did they go?”

I was certain the students had entered the dungeon with me.

Yet no matter how I searched, the students were nowhere to be seen.

Moreover, entering the dungeon brought no change whatsoever.

“Why isn’t the dungeon starting?” It was a completely different development from the previous one.

Unlike the expectation that some message would appear after waiting, nothing showed up no matter how long I waited.

“Should I look around?”

For now, I decided to move around to search for the students as well.

“Huh?”

It was as if a designated area had been set, and trying to leave it made movement impossible.

“What is this?”

It was similar to the goblin or orc cases.

You couldn’t escape without meeting certain conditions.

“Is he telling me to wait?”

Seeing that message, there seemed to be no other option but to wait.

So I waited.

One hour. Two hours. Five hours.

“What the hell do I have to wait forever for!” Endless waiting.

In a situation where I had no idea how the other students were doing, there was no choice but to wait, and it was unbearably frustrating.

Kwaang!

No matter how I moved to escape this place, it remained completely still.

“Haa. So I just have to wait.”

After waiting for quite some time...

Finally, the message that it had started.

How long had I waited?

“By the way, what is that?”

The word “Epic” attached to the front of the dungeon.

It felt different from a normal dungeon.

“What is this?”

An observer.

This was an unknown system.

You couldn’t intervene at all,

“So I just have to watch?”

Since I could move around, I quickly moved.

There were definitely other students here.

After moving for a short time...

“Ah-ra! Jin-ri!”

Ah-ra and Jin-ri fighting against enemies came into view.

But my shout didn’t reach them?

No matter how I shouted, Ah-ra and Jin-ri didn’t even turn their heads toward where I was.

“So this is what being an observer is like?”

Even summoning monsters or trying to confront them directly had no effect on the people in front of me.

“Damn it!”

Ah-ra and Jin-ri in front of me were in crisis, and I had to watch helplessly!

What kind of crappy system is this?

“Where are Jin-hwan and Ji-ah?”

I was worried they might have already suffered something bad.

I quickly searched the surroundings and saw Jin-hwan and Ji-ah in the distance.

“Eh? What is that?”

Something right in front of Jin-hwan and Ji-ah.

It was something boasting a massive body.

“Black Dragon!”

That was the Black Dragon.

What secret of the Black Dragon was he asking me to uncover?

“What? Jin-hwan’s condition is weird?”

When the Black Dragon did something to Jin-hwan, Jin-hwan’s body turned black.

I thought maybe something bad had happened, but luckily it didn’t seem so, as Jin-hwan’s condition remained fine.

“Is he going to Ah-ra and Jin-ri?”

Jin-hwan and Ji-ah returned the way I had come.

“Even if Jin-hwan goes, is it okay?”

It seemed like there was a significant power difference, so even if Jin-hwan returned, it probably wouldn’t make much difference.

“But even if I go, it’s useless.”

After all, as an observer, I couldn’t help.

So uncovering the secret about this Black Dragon might actually help the kids.

“I’ll definitely go save them later.”

For now, I had no choice but to hope that Jin-hwan and Ji-ah would join Ah-ra and Jin-ri and hold on as long as possible.

- Uhm. Now that I’ve chosen, is it over?

After Jin-hwan and Ji-ah disappeared, the Black Dragon slowly moved his body.

And he threw something that looked like an egg onto the rock, and the egg shattered as is.

- This is my egg, it’s unbelievable.

This was definitely the egg Jin-hwan had given me earlier.

He said it was his egg, but was it not?

“What is this?”

There seemed to be something hidden.

The Black Dragon who rewarded with his egg as if it was his own.

But he shattered that egg.

- Haaam. I’m tired.

The Black Dragon yawned once, then instantly changed into a human form.

The Black Dragon with jet-black hair.

The guy who transformed into a man in his twenties looked around restlessly.

“It feels like there’s something here.”

Did he sense me?

But my appearance wasn’t visible, so even coming right in front of my nose, he didn’t notice me.

“Hmm, strange.”

The Black Dragon tilted his head, then sat down and took out something like a bead.

“Report. I have chosen the agent.”

- Is this time for sure?

“Yeah. I didn’t cause a fuss, and I selected while making a strange mission called my egg in the dungeon.”

- Hah. You? It seems you were liked anyway. No matter how much pressure, choosing an agent.

“Well, that guy looked pretty fun.”

- Now the remaining ones are the White Dragon and the Blue Dragon.

“Yeah yeah. Now stop nagging those guys and stop minding me.”

- Yeah, sure.

With that, the Black Dragon ended the conversation.

“What is this? Agent? So what he did to Jin-hwan earlier was that?”

Not exactly.

But looking at the current words, it was likely that Jin-hwan became this guy’s agent.

“Is this dangerous?”

I didn’t get a good feeling.

Obviously not.

I was definitely caught up in something strange.

“Hmm. Let’s see. Are you fighting well?”

The Black Dragon looked at the crystal ball again with that in mind.

And what was there was none other than Jin-hwan’s figure.

“Oh. You’re fighting pretty well?”

The Black Dragon had an expression as if watching his child play tricks, and watched Jin-hwan fight.

“What is this?”

The skills Jin-hwan was using.

Completely new from before.

“Is it because he made him an agent?”

Probably.

What was the purpose of making Jin-hwan an agent?

“That’s right!”

The Black Dragon was deeply immersed in the scene of Jin-hwan fighting.

I also felt relieved when I saw the scene.

At least, not being attacked by those raiders was a big relief.

And then...

As soon as Jin-hwan caught the red-hooded guy, the students all cleared the dungeon, and a reward room appeared, and they went in.

“For now, the kids are safe.”

Of course, I don’t know if there are Wyverns or other monsters outside, but surviving this dungeon is somewhere.

And the Black Dragon who watched all that put the bead away and said.

“This ‘Struggle’ that will come ahead seems to be secretly anticipated.”

“Struggle?”

I don’t know what he meant by that.

But at that moment,

- You have uncovered the hidden secret of the Black Dragon.

- A 'Struggle' occurs among the Dragon Agents.

- [Epic] Dungeon (Black Dragon's Nest) has been cleared.

“What? Is this the end?”

I honestly didn’t hear anything, and didn’t know what the Struggle meant.

But the dungeon was already cleared.

It was absurd.

“Well, if I can go back.”

For now, it’s a situation where the kids are worrying.

There might be Wyverns or other monsters outside, so it wasn’t bad to leave the dungeon.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

- [Epic] Dungeon Clear Reward.

- Do you accept the Epic Quest? Y/N

“Epic Quest?”

This is different from the scenario quest I have now.

“But the reward is a quest?”

Strange.

Normally, rewards are items, right?

What reward is given by breaking this?

“For now, I should accept it.”

It can’t be bad.

Moreover, seeing the word “Epic”, if I clear it, I might get a good ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reward.

- Epic Quest is given.

- Participate in the 'Struggle'.

- To participate in the 'Struggle', you need to be an agent.

- The remaining dragons are the White Dragon and the Blue Dragon.

- Which agent's representative would you like to choose?

“Agent?”

An agent like Jin-hwan earlier.

This agent participating in the Struggle is an Epic Quest.

“Does choosing end it?”

White Dragon and Blue Dragon.

I don’t know if choosing makes me the agent of that dragon or not.

So, now I have to be more careful.

“White Dragon.”

Of the two, the one that seems to have something is the White Dragon.

- You have chosen the White Dragon.

- The White Dragon's agent trial is given.

- Find the White Dragon.

- Move out of the dungeon.

With the quest given, I was moved out of this dungeon.

Swoosh!

***

“Ssaem! You’re safe?!”

“Yeah. Are you kids all safe too?”

“Yeah. We’re all safe.”

Fortunately, there are no Wyverns outside now.

“Jin-hwan oppa saved all of us in the dungeon.”

“Yes. It was really cool.”

“Oppa is the best!”

“Ahem!”

Jin-hwan puffed out his chest at that.

Actually, it’s surprising that Jin-hwan, who was a healer until now, hears such words.

“Yeah. I know that too.”

“Eh? How, Ssaem?”

“I saw it too.”

“Where were you?”

I started telling the kids in detail about what I experienced in the dungeon.

“Wait a minute. So I became the agent of the Black Dragon?”

“Yeah. And probably I’ll become the agent of the White Dragon.”

Actually, nothing is decided yet.

I don’t know if I’ll become the White Dragon’s agent or not.

However, it was clear that Jin-hwan became an agent.

“Now I have to find the White Dragon too.”

It’s a complicated feeling. I’m happy to have gotten a clue to become ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stronger, but scared that I’m caught up in something dangerous, and anyway, there’s too much to do.