We Become Them
[A stele engraved with a pattern resembling a rope-tied door. Proceed straight ahead at your own risk, as you may encounter an S-rank monster.]
Hunter Wiki: Soul-Eating Labyrinth Strategy Guide
A guide I'd seen on the Hunter Wiki for the Soul-Eating Labyrinth. If it had just said "a pattern resembling a rope-tied door," I might've glossed over it. But this was an Abyss-type dungeon. I came to check just in case, and sure enough...
Ancient Elvish. Even ordinary elves would have no clue what it meant. It differed significantly from the script the elves used back in Jellun.
Even the dwarves' translation devices couldn't make sense of it.
So how did I know it?
That bastard Argel. When I asked him to teach me Elvish, he taught me Ancient Elvish instead.
Probably just to mess with me back then. Elves were raised from childhood to see demons as utterly abhorrent creatures not worth associating with. And by elven standards of "childhood," that meant centuries of built-up hatred. Even though she had no choice with Hero Reinhardt in the party, Argel always made that shit-eating face whenever she saw me.
Asking a guy like that to teach me Elvish? No way she'd give me the real deal. To make me suffer, she half-assed some lessons in Elvish that was thousands of years old—Ancient Elvish. Only a great sage like Argel could read and use it among the elves.
I gritted my teeth and learned it anyway, desperate to find any clue in ancient Elvish tomes that might get me back to Earth. Later, when I realized it wasn't standard Elvish but Ancient Elvish, we had a massive blowout.
"Heh."
Who'd have thought it'd come in handy now?
"This... is writing?"
"That's what they say."
Yelena stroked the patterns on the stele, incredulous. And who could blame her? Ancient elves didn't have the systematized language modern ones did. Unless you were a specialist in ancient tongues, you'd never even conceive of it as a language.
The characters don't even connect properly.
I approached the stele cautiously and began reading the script.
"Nashif... Al Tezoh Mende."
"What does that mean?"
"Nashif means 'they.' So, roughly... 'They are beings from the Primordial Darkness?'"
They are beings from the Primordial Darkness.
They are inevitable existences. It is natural for darkness to gather where light converges.
For the next stage? Rank? There is no helping it.
Upon reaching that end...
We become them.
I couldn't make sense of it after just one line. I read on carefully.
Still, it was mostly cryptic nonsense. "Upon reaching that end..."
By the time I reached the final line, I doubted my own eyes. Was I translating this right? My head tilted instinctively.
"...We become them."
"What does that mean, Soo-hyeok?"
"Beats me."
Was that really the correct translation? But it didn't take long to confirm it was.
Rumble rumble rumble...!
"Huh?"
No sooner had I finished deciphering the stele than a massive tremor shook the entire dungeon.
"Uh..."
This felt really bad. I'd brought Yelena along thinking it'd be fine, but...
"Soo-hyeok! Something's coming!"
Yelena drew her sword from her waist and assumed a stance.
"R-Right!"
I clenched my fists and got into fighting position too.
The anomaly hit fast.
Whoosh!
The fog blanketing the area cleared in an instant. And what we faced was...
"......"
A man, naked like a primitive caveman. Squatting alone on the dark earth, he covered his privates with nothing but grass and twigs. In one hand, he gripped a long wooden staff, slowly lifting his head toward us.
"Ugh..."
Yelena let out a short groan as their eyes met. No wonder—his face alone sent chills down your spine. People describe hollow eyes as "empty," but this guy's were literally vacant. No black or brown pupils—just pure whites in a horrifying visage. Add the faint tree roots and leaves scattered over his bare skin, and even a battle-hardened vet like me couldn't help but grimace.
"...Huh?"
Examining him, I rubbed my eyes suspiciously and looked again. Pointed ears jutting sharply. A trait elves in Jellun had. But no elf I knew wandered around like that. They strutted around like the only civilized beings in existence, draped in ornate robes—not covering just their junk with primitive leaves and branches.
"......"
A thought flashed through my mind.
"!@#$"
I spat ancient Elvish at him. Translation: What are you?
"S-Soo-hyeok! What was that?!"
Yelena shot me a sideways glance, sword gripped tight. But the answer came from him.
"!@#$."
A grotesque voice that rattled my eardrums. What he said was unmistakably ancient Elvish I knew.
"He says, 'I am the chosen one.'"
"What...?"
He understood ancient Elvish—and spoke it. That meant...?
No time to ponder. He swung his staff, and soul-eaters dwarfing the ones we'd fought before materialized around him. Nearly ten of them. S-rank ones, obviously.
"Ugh!"
The beasts charged Yelena, still holding her sword. She swung, but her blade wasn't an artifact—just plain iron. She missed the core and took a hit.
Before she could react, a massive spirit body swept through her.
"...Kyaaak!"
Her legs buckled, and she collapsed.
"Ugh..."
Luckily, her armor did its job—she didn't pass out, just shivered violently. But the damage was done; like those hunters before, terror gripped her as if she'd witnessed something horrific.
These beasts' ability wasn't reviving awful memories. It was a vicious mental assault that directly manipulated emotions, imprinting pure fear on the target.
"......"
The creature flashed a creepy smile at trembling Yelena.
"You bastard..."
As I stepped toward it, the surrounding beasts turned on me.
Woooong...!
A heavy, vibrating wail. Massive jaws yawned open toward me.
Bang!
I thrust my fist into its core before it could pass. The nucleus shattered, the spirit body scattering like dust.
"......"
Only then did the smile fade from its lips.
But it didn't stop, unleashing more beasts at me.
Bang! Bang!
I calmly smashed their cores, closing the distance. I still had questions. Why did this guy speak ancient Elvish? What did "we become them" mean?
But I couldn't ignore someone trying to kill me.
"......!"
As I drew nearer, its smile vanished. It grew paler, fear creeping into its face.
"Stay right there."
Break the staff first, and it'd be done. Endless soul-eaters poured forth, crushed cores crunching underfoot.
How much time passed? I finally reached arm's length.
Kwaak!
I grabbed its collar as it slumped.
"!@#$!"
It screamed—ancient Elvish or just a roar, I couldn't tell.
First, the staff...
Trying to snap it, I peered close at its face. Two horns protruding from its forehead. Actual horns.
Far off, they'd been hidden by branches and leaves, but up close, unmistakable.
"Horns...?"
So, a demon. But why ancient Elvish? And those pointed elven ears?
"......"
Suddenly, its dark expression twisted into a grin.
"Shit."
Before I could react, a massive spirit jaw summoned right under me. No time to dodge.
Kwaaat!
The spirit wave engulfed me. No choice but to endure. A mental attack dyeing emotions with fear—even I...
"...Huh?"
I braced myself, but... nothing. Just a cool breeze from a fan.
"...?"
It tilted its head, still collared by me. It swung the staff desperately; another huge spirit summoned around me.
Kwaaat.
Again, just a refreshing breeze.
"!@#$"
Refusing to accept it, it flailed wildly. More spirits, no effect.
"Hey, hold still."
Time to snag that staff. As I reached—
Kwaaat!
"!@#$"
It thrashed, and a spirit veered, swallowing itself. Foam bubbled from its mouth; it convulsed. If pupils were visible, they'd be rolled back.
"H-Hey! Don't die!"
"!@#$......"
Tears streamed from its eyes amid screams. I tried reviving it, but soon its body went limp in my grip.
Groooan...
As it fell, the whole Soul-Eating Labyrinth rumbled. The signal of dungeon clear.
This guy was the hidden dungeon master.
"Argh, you dumbass..."
Poof!
Its body exploded into dust with a bang.
Clang!
As usual, rewards dropped: the wooden staff artifact and a fist-sized mana core.
"......"
Gotta grab the loot.
I pocketed the spoils and approached Yelena.
"You okay?"
"...Yeah. Royal Guardians Model 12 for the win."
Eh, if that's what she thinks, good.
Anyway.
"Get ready to bolt."
"Bolt? Why?"
"We cleared the dungeon. From the dome stadium owners' view, their main cash cow just vanished. Think they'll be happy?"
If we'd cleared it right after it spawned, maybe. But after five years of scraping by on tourism and entry fees? Some randos clear it? Not wrong, but they won't be thrilled.
"Hop on my back."
At Yelena's speed, we'd get caught. Better me carrying her.
"...Got it."
She sheathed her sword and climbed on. The rigid plate armor felt cool against my back.
"Alright... here we go."
The gloomy clouds overhead parted, revealing Seoul's clear blue sky. I kicked off hard and fled.