------------------
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
------------------
Chapter 6: Mystery Room (2)
An earthquake erupted in Yohan's head.
'What's going on?'
'Did something change for this idiot?'
'If the protagonist shows up here, my plans could get messed up.'
'No, forget everything else, I can't let him take the thing I'm trying to pick.'
A storm of chaotic emotions raged, but there wasn't even time to compose himself.
[Time Remaining 0H : 0M : 55S]
Yohan's gaze shifted to the status window displaying the remaining time.
Just 55 seconds.
He had to finish his deal with Seo Changhee within that time.
Seo Changhee was imprinted with an instinct to always make the best choice to stop this damn difficult apocalypse.
If he tried to take the item by force, his relationship with Seo Changhee would plummet to the absolute worst.
First, a friendly conversation.
"Sorry, but I'd appreciate it if you'd yield on this one. I'm the only one who can properly draw out this item's potential."
"That's a problem. My instincts are telling me I have to get my hands on this. If anyone's yielding, it should be you."
It wasn't like his instinct was some sacred, undeniable command.
He didn't seem to be in the mood to back down easily.
In that case.
There was no choice but to dangle a bait so important that this item couldn't even compare.
"In exchange, I'll help you find the 'Fragment of Dawn'. And as a bonus, I'll solve your problem of figuring out which item you should pick."
Yohan flicked the white Zippo lighter that was on the table with his finger.
Fwing!
The lighter spun round and round before stopping right in front of Seo Changhee.
And then.
He flinched.
Seo Changhee's eyes wavered.
"How... did you know that? Not even the major guilds or the Rankers knew that the Fragment of Dawn existed...?"
'How did I know?'
It was because that item was essential for him to awaken as a 'Divinity'.
In fact, at the very top of the instincts that guy possessed was likely the command to 'secure the Fragment of Dawn'.
But he couldn't tell him that.
It was best to be vague about it here.
"Are you planning to play twenty questions when we have no time? Or are you going to accept my proposal?"
[Time Remaining 0H : 0M : 17S]
"Interesting. You act as if you know everything about me."
Seo Changhee stared intently into Yohan's eyes.
He was trying to determine whether his intentions were pure or not.
Being on the receiving end of the man's deep gaze, he felt the uncontrollable urge to plant a fist in his face.
But what could he do?
If he wanted to get everything he desired, he had to endure this much.
Besides, if this guy actually got his hands on this item, he wouldn't even be able to draw out a quarter of its potential.
No, he'd probably be lucky if the guy didn't cause some huge disaster with this precious item.
A moment later, as if having made a decision, Seo Changhee picked up the lighter Yohan had offered.
It was a sign that he accepted.
"I'd like to at least get your name. Just in case we don't run into each other inside the dungeon."
"Kang Yohan. Feel free to just call me Yohan."
"Kang Yohan... You're a lucky one. The chance to get acquainted with a rising star like me isn't very common. Ah, my name is Seo Changhee. Well, I'm sure everyone will know it after a little time passes."
The sight of him smirking as he brushed back his hair.
'Somehow, I don't think you'll ever be famous for anything good.'
Well, delusions are free.
In addition, he had given the guy the item that suited him best.
Once they were in the dungeon, he would realize just how incredible the lighter's efficacy was.
It was an S-Rank item, after all.
Even if it had a clear downside.
[Seo Changhee has selected the 'Incandescent Lighter'.]
[Kang Yohan has selected... '']
At that very moment.
The ten minutes were up.
[Entering 'The Withered Garden'!]
＊＊＊
His darkened vision returned, and a place completely different from the resplendent room unfolded.
He had entered the dungeon proper.
[The 'Abandoned Church' has been designated as the starting point.]
[From this moment on, all who have entered the dungeon will be able to check the detailed information of the item they have chosen.]
[Items obtained in the Mystery Room will inflict 10% additional damage to the monsters that inhabit this place!]
The entry points into the dungeon were random.
The place Yohan had been dropped was in front of a half-collapsed church.
The gloomy atmosphere fit the gray sky quite well.
'Spectacular from the very beginning.'
He had to figure out why Seo Changhee had postponed his first move as a Divinity and chosen to come here instead.
He couldn't let him take the fortuitous encounters, either.
And he also had to put him in a debt he couldn't easily repay...
Hmm.
It looked like he could spend his time in this dungeon very productively.
'It's said to take about five days to defeat the boss, so I have a fair bit of time.'
The real action would start around the fourth or fifth day.
Securing the major Hidden Pieces and rewards would also be possible from that point on.
'So until then, I should just kill time while I wait for everyone else to work hard.'
However.
A minor problem was that he had come in such a hurry that he had no weapons or food.
It meant he had to procure everything himself.
Fortunately.
As expected of a place called a treasure dungeon, the resources here were quite abundant compared to other dungeons.
[Blood Art 'Lowest-Rank Vampire Bat' is summoned!]
"Kyuu."
A bat with black, fluffy fur appeared.
It was a bat summoned through a familiar contract.
"Check from the air if anyone is approaching."
"Kyut!"
The bat saluted with its small arm and then flew up into the air.
Since he had just finished his coming-of-age ceremony, he couldn't afford to waste mana carelessly.
'If I use a big technique once or twice, my mana will be completely drained.'
Until he awakened, obtained a dedicated class, and went down a skill tree...
And until he had accumulated enough mana.
He had to be careful.
Because now, there was no next playthrough if he failed.
Just as he was spending a few hours surveying the area and making future plans.
[The Vampire Bat warns you of approaching entities.]
Something was coming.
About thirty seconds later, he felt multiple presences from behind the abandoned church.
He wondered if it was Seo Changhee, but the ones who appeared were people he had never seen before.
"What's this. A person? Not a Hunter, though... he has no equipment at all."
"Hmm. Did he come in alone?"
"Oh my. That must be scary. Even with five of us, our hearts are still pounding."
Four men and one woman.
They were equipped with proper weapons and armor, likely brought from the outside.
It was a moment to once again feel the gap between the rich and poor.
As Yohan subtly tried to step back, the man who appeared to be the leader raised both his hands.
"Woah, woah. Don't be so wary. From the looks of it, you don't have much dungeon experience either. Even if it's a treasure dungeon, a D-Rank one can be quite dangerous. So how about it? Why don't you travel with us?"
He approached, smiling affably.
But why?
It felt like he could smell the stench of rotting corpses from behind that smile.
Then again, he probably shouldn't expect 'goodness' from people who survived that pandemonium and made it into the dungeon.
[Lv1 'Prophet's Eye' has been activated!]
[A 3-day cooldown will be applied to use this on the same target again.]
He checked the items they had chosen in the Mystery Room.
Since his level was still low, it was difficult to examine everyone's status window in detail.
The fatigue would be much greater for higher-level beings.
Or he might only see a part of their information, or it might be impossible to check at all.
[A-Rank 'Old Seoul Kindergarten Summer Vacation Insect Collecting Kit']
[D-Rank 'Screen Golf Club']
[E-Rank 'Alarm Clock' (made in South Africa)]
[C-Rank 'Portrait of a Certain Count']
[None.]
The last woman seemed to have been unable to choose an item in the pandemonium from before.
He understood.
It had been an incredibly urgent situation.
The fact that she was able to join the group despite that was likely thanks to her looks.
She wasn't a great beauty, but with her long, flowing hair, the tear mole next to her eye, and the way she smiled bashfully, she stimulated one's protective instincts.
She had a strange charm that captivated people.
Yohan's gaze shifted to the man who seemed to be the leader.
'His luck is pretty good, seeing as he picked an A-Rank item.'
In terms of probability, it was in the top 5%.
While it wasn't one of the only three S-Rank items, it was still quite rare.
Yohan scanned the other members one by one.
According to information he had acquired in past playthroughs, three guilds were known to have entered this dungeon.
[Daesan Industries]
[Iron Sword]
[Order of the Sun]
Unlike the riffraff who had just come looking for treasure, these were mid-tier guilds with proper raid parties.
Naturally, in addition to the items they just obtained, their existing equipment and individual skills would be considerable.
'At least, it's not them.'
They were too weak for that.
Not just the quality or quantity of their mana, but their experience as well.
Bitterly, he was certain his opponent was thinking the same thing.
He could see him licking his lips as he looked this way.
The greedy look in his eyes, as if to say, 'I wonder what that guy picked,' was proof enough.
On top of that, he was traveling alone, so he must have looked like a delicious meal.
But.
He also needed actors to gloriously decorate the stage.
Because they weren't the only ones here.
"We ran into monsters twice on our way here. They were pretty tough. I guarantee you, it will be much safer than traveling alone."
"Fine, let's do that."
When Yohan readily accepted, the man smiled broadly and introduced himself.
"Haha. A wise choice. My name is Yoo Youngho. Next to me, in order, are Kim Yunyeol, Jeon Mincheol, Jo Yongbae, and Park Yeri. Some of us knew each other before, and some we just met here."
They each gave a slight nod or a light greeting.
They didn't have set positions, but they all said they had at least three or more dungeon experiences.
"I have no dungeon experience."
Yohan briefly introduced his own career.
"Ah, well. This isn't a bad place for a first-timer. The problem is you can't usually come here because of the major guilds. Unopened Dungeons are quite profitable, you see."
The smile on Yoo Youngho's lips grew even wider.
'He should at least try to manage his expression.'
'At this rate, even prey that's already caught will get away, you punk.'
"Then, would you mind telling us what item you chose in the Mystery Room?"
“……”
Seeing Yohan's uncomfortable expression, Yoo Youngho quickly added another word.
"I don't have any other intentions. It's just that we're comrades now, so I thought it would be better for the team to understand our collective strength."
It was all for the group, not the individual.
The logic that would put a politician to shame, insisting on pursuing the public good over personal gain, was just a bonus.
And this was not a choice.
He could see they were ready to draw their weapons at a moment's notice depending on his answer.
If he had something useless, they would get rid of him immediately since there was no need to keep him around.
If he had something useful, they planned to exploit him as much as possible, and once he was all used up, they would take it from him.
Yohan fiddled with the item he had kept in his pocket.
An answer.
Or a fight.
It was time to make that decision.
------------------
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
------------------
