Dungeon Hunter - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Episode 21. Dwarf, Quest, Success (3)

After yet another raid on the sixth floor ended in failure.

The Devil Hunter attack unit prepared for every contingency and challenged the dungeon once more.

They not only bought expensive potions but even prepared a teleportation scroll so costly that you’d go, “Holy sh*t!” from its pricing alone, just for the mid-grade monster Pyrok. Although it only allowed one to teleport within the radius of ten meters, they believed that it’d act like an extra life for them and didn’t question its usefulness.

Their advance was untroubled as they had already secured the safe zones all the way up to the fifth floor. Most monsters had this tendency of treading only those paths they usually frequented so, as long as the attack unit avoided those routes, there wouldn’t be a need to get into a big fight. Of course, the Devil Hunter had already identified several safe routes.

The location of these routes was top-tier information that no amount of money could buy. Such info was essential in running a formal attack unit.

They reached the sixth floor in less than a day after ruthlessly plowing through the dungeon. Thanks to this floor being a lava field, even the act of standing still caused them to sweat profusely.

As for the list of monsters on the sixth floor that the attack unit had discovered, it looked like this:

Fire Lizards, Lava Spiders, Fire Larva, Fire Slimes… and Pyrok!

The first four were, in all honesty, not that much stronger than the monsters of the fifth floor. It was possible for someone on the level of Yoo Eunhye or Edward to fight them solo. Since the attack unit had already figured out the suitable raid methods after clashing against the monsters several times in the past, the only thing remaining now was to break through. With the exception of Pyrok, not much else qualified as a big hurdle.

“…This is a bit deflating. Don’t you agree, big sis?” Yoo Eunhye said, as she scanned the buildings in the surroundings then belatedly spat out a sigh.

The seventh floor. It was a village of dwarves.

The attack unit members were so tense that even taking a single step proved to be nerve-wracking, yet they didn’t encounter Pyrok on the sixth floor. When they reached the seventh floor without facing too much difficulty, the first thing to greet them was a “dwarf” barely one meter tall.

Initially, the attack unit remained on a knife’s edge and was wary of these creatures, but the dwarves were quite friendly to the humans. No, they even welcomed their new guests with bright smiles. Just like how you couldn’t spit on a smiling face, the attack unit found themselves unable to hit first in this case.

Since this was the first time such an event happened in a dungeon, everyone was in a bit of stupor, and it was precisely at this point that the dwarves pulled the humans in with the pretext of repairing their weapons as well as providing a place to rest.

“We don’t know what’s up yet, so don’t let your guard down,” said Lee Jihye, her complexion remaining pale as she vigilantly scanned her surroundings.

She was a firm believer of there being no such thing as a no-strings-attached show of goodwill. Maybe they were getting dragged into a trap. A few people were stationed by the entrance just in case.

“But, they don’t seem hostile to me, though? Besides, take a look at the weapons these dwarves are carrying around, sis. Seriously now, they are no joke. I mean, rare grades are every-freaking-where like a heap of junk, right? And, there are more of them than us, too. Is there really a reason for them to entrap us?” Yoo Eunhye laid out her case in a somewhat logical manner.

Just like what she said, the armament equipped on these dwarves were enough to nearly make the humans’ eyes pop out. Everything from the weapons and armors to other sundries, all of them were extremely impressive.

Taking just one of those outside would be enough to make a killing in an instant. Since they were members of the Devil Hunter attack unit, they didn’t have money issues, but… In any case, the dwarves numbered almost one hundred strong, so they probably didn’t need to lay down traps for humans, either.

The small heights of the dwarves were not a problem. However, their broad shoulders and hard muscles seemed threatening to the attack unit members.

“Haha, dear warriors, you can rest easy. We the dwarves are different from other monsters. No, we’ve been waiting for the arrival of warriors such as yourselves, instead.”

The dwarf at the front guiding the attack unit guffawed in a manly manner. For sure, he didn’t emit one ounce of hostility. The other dwarves passing by simply stared at the human guests with amazed eyes, that’s all.

Lee Jihye cocked her eyebrow. “What are you planning? If you’re not hostile towards us, surely you don’t have a reason to be so heavily armed, now do you?”

“This here is still inside a dungeon. Monsters have their own territories and compete with each other for their continued survival. We’re always armed just in case something happens. And also… Please don’t be too hasty. Our elder will explain the rest to you.”

The guiding dwarf’s explanation sounded logical, but there were plenty of things still left unexplained even then.

Was it because they finally ran into a monster they could communicate with? Maybe, they might get closer to the “truth” that the entire world still didn’t know of yet.

Lee Jihye continued to steadfastly walk forward despite not hiding how obviously uncomfortable she felt.

“We’re here. Oopsie daisy. Dear warriors, I’d like to ask you to surrender your weapons before going in, just in case,” the dwarf addressed the humans following him, as if suddenly reminded of this important matter.

But Lee Jihye immediately shook her head. “We will not disarm.”

“In that case, our warriors will have to accompany you inside. It’ll get a little uncomfortable if our discussion drags on a bit, but are you fine with that?”

What should they do?

The attack unit members all focused on Lee Jihye. They normally followed her opinion when deciding on the matters involving the attack unit, both big and small.

She made her reply. “It’ll be fine.”

“Very well.”

The dwarf signaled with his eyes, prompting two other dwarves circling around the group to join them.

Three attack unit members were stationed by the entrance to the seventh floor. Nine members in total arrived in the village, so if something did happen, then this side was in the overwhelming majority.

This probably implied how confident the dwarves must’ve felt, though. Or, maybe they were way too lackadaisical, almost to a fault. However, this was a dungeon. The latter should definitely not be the case.

Lee Jihye thought of several eventualities before walking into the building ahead of everyone. The attack unit members followed her inside right after.

Soon, they discovered a dwarf smoking a pipe before a massive wooden table.

Tap!

This dwarf emptied the ash on an ashtray made out of silver and opened his mouth. “Welcome, dear warriors. My name is Steane. And I’m the elder of this small village.”

All the members found a place to sit around the table. Steane was the last to sit down, and the meeting went underway.

“I’m sure you’re curious about many things. I shall try to answer all of them as long as they stay reasonable. This should be the best way to build a relationship of mutual trust, after all.”

Lee Jihye shot a sharp question first. “Some humans witnessed dwarves among the first monster wave. Are those related to the dwarves on this floor?”

Steane shrugged his shoulders and replied with an unperturbed expression. “Monster wave? What’s that?”

“It’s a generic term to denote the actions of monsters escaping from the dungeon to attack humans.”

“An event like that happened? We had no idea. And we certainly had never left the dungeon, either.”

Actually, dwarves did leave the dungeon before. They heeded the dungeon master’s command and led the lowest-grade monsters to attack the city. So, the witness testimony of dwarves being spotted during the first monster wave was definitely not fake.

However, all they did was command the monsters. Humans might have coincidentally spotted them, but they were not sure of what they had seen. If Steane insisted on playing none-the-wiser, that’d be the end of this story.

Lee Jihye didn’t withdraw her suspicion-filled glare, however. “How strange, you claim to never have left the dungeon, yet you know about the existence of the human warriors?”

“What’s so strange about that? We already know that this dungeon is located in another world. We the dwarves never have been the inhabitants of the dungeons, to begin with. You could even say that we came from a completely different place than your ‘Earth.'”

“A completely different place, is it?”

Curiosity flickered in Lee Jihye’s eyes.

“We’re from the land called ‘Havenaim.’ Well, you wouldn’t know even if I talk about it, but… One day, we were forcibly transported into this dungeon. And then, was forced to live in here. Most likely, we can only return to our original homeland by killing the ‘Dungeon Master’ at the top floor of this dungeon. Also…,” Steane stopped to take a short breather, before suddenly clenching his fists tightly. “You asked how we know of the existence of you warriors? It’s very simple. We have received an oracle from our god. It said, only they can liberate us from this dungeon!”

The script was prepared in advance, a mix of half-truths and half-lies. On top of this, Steane’s acting ability was top-notch, as well. The addition of the impassioned gesture was enough to cause uncertainty in Lee Jihye’s head.

She spoke. “You say there was an oracle from a god? That’s rather difficult to believe.”

“Our people meeting your group is already a miracle in itself. Something that couldn’t happen.”

The current world was filled with one miraculous event after another. From the appearances of dungeons to the awakened humans making their entrances, not one of these things could be seen as normal. So, it wouldn’t be so strange to see a god show up at this stage.

Lee Jihye continued. “Okay, fine. Let’s say that’s how it is. But that doesn’t explain the other monsters.”

“Either their intelligence is too low, or they don’t think the same as we dwarves. This dungeon is truly vast, and the monsters inhabiting it are numerous. Varied in species, as well. How can every single one of them be the same as us, then?”

“In that case… At the very least, we shouldn’t think of this village’s dwarves as our enemies, is that it?”

“Precisely. We have a reason to help you. Of course, it won’t be unconditional help, but… What I’m saying is that, by using this opportunity, we should try to walk a path where we can all coexist. Although we don’t mind helping you without asking for anything in return, our current situation doesn’t permit us to do so.”

Lee Jihye shifted her gaze to study the pieces of equipment displayed here and there. Every single one was quite extraordinary. They should be able to do solid business if a handful of those items were acquired and taken outside.

She decided that if these dwarves were really not hostile to humans, then it would not be such a bad idea to become acquainted with these creatures.

Lee Jihye spoke next. “Coexist, is it? That’s a good concept. But what do you want in return? Although your suggestion is very good, we don’t have much to offer you right now, as you can see.”

“What we wish for is your assistance. We the dwarves aren’t many in number, so it’s not easy for us to leave the village. It’s always a big headache when we need to deal with issues outside the village, you see.”

“Our assistance, is it…? I’d like to know what kind of assistance you are talking about.”

“It’s simple. Please eliminate ten snail-type monsters, ‘Black Snail,’ that can be found on the seventh floor. The mucus these bastards spit out makes the ground seriously soft and causes it to give in. As a result, countless dwarves suffered after falling inside. Also, if you manage to bring us their shells, I will even give you additional rewards. The Black Snail shell is perfect for making scabbards for swords, you see.”

At the very moment when Steane’s words came to an end…

『The quest, ‘Steane’s Favor’ has been generated.』

『Goal – Eliminate ten ‘Black Snail’ 0/10

Reward – discuss with Steane.』

“Uh?”

“It’s a quest!”

All the attack unit members were startled wide awake. They had never imagined that an actual quest would suddenly pop up like this.

Such a thing was referred to as an “instant quest,” and the awakened community widely believed that resolving such a quest was the correct thing to do. Rewards were one thing, but rumors coming from various sources intimated that resolving such sudden quests would result in a slightly faster rise in one’s stat points.

One’s ability level was absolute. The higher they were, the better. And there was a pretty good chance of earning “achievements” by taking care of such side quests, as well. Depending on the achievements themselves, you might even earn a separate title or a skill in some cases, so… Fire lit up within the eyes of the attack unit members.

“Let’s give it a shot.”

Lee Jihye nodded her head.

The Black Snails were low-ranked monsters. Although they weren’t all that large, their black shell was unbelievably hard. The mucus they spat out also was strongly acidic as well, but the creatures were not aggressive in nature and the hunting didn’t prove to be a big challenge in the end.

On the other hand, the terrain surrounding a Black Snail often caved in like a sinkhole. Once you fell inside, it became difficult to climb back up, so that part certainly gave them a bit of trouble.

“Why is the seventh floor so much easier?” Yoo Eunhye muttered out after finishing the hunt for the tenth Black Snail.

Her fellow attack unit members agreed with her. Compared to the fifth or the sixth, the seventh floor was definitely much easier.

“Ehehe. Feels like a resting stage, don’t you agree?”

Kim Choonwon grinned in sheer happiness. As a “Bard,” it was his job to attract the monster’s aggro, but there was no need to do that with these Black Snails. Looking on while idling around turned out to be really relaxing for him.

After all the battles had concluded, Lee Jihye addressed her group. “Let’s load the shells on the wagon and get out of here. It’s time to return to the village.”

Before they left the village, Steane handed over a massive wagon. Thanks to that, delivering these snail shells became rather simple.

As two of the attack unit members began loading the Black Snail shells, Yoo Eunhye began talking to Lee Jihye. “What do you think the dwarves will reward us with, sis? Maybe it’s a legendary sword or something?”

“You think they’ll hand over a legendary sword just for ten measly shells? It’ll probably be a handful of some tools or something like that.”

“Even then… This is their first request and all. Even if it’s a unique-grade sword, I’d be so happy.”

“My dear junior sister, dreams exist to be shattered.”

While sharing meaningless banter, the members began moving while pushing the wagon forward. Ten Black Snail shells were piled up like a small mountain inside the vehicle.

Yoo Eunhye stretched her limbs during the move. “Ah, a lot of people will be green with jealousy when the news of us succeeding in raiding the seventh floor gets out, right?”

“Probably. Finding the dwarf village will be big news, too.”

“Will we finally get rid of the infamy of the one-man attack unit…?”

It wasn’t infamy in the traditional sense, though. Lee Jihye didn’t utter that out in the open. She had grown close to Yoo Eunhye like real sisters even before realizing it, and a smile also bloomed on her face after seeing the younger woman’s cheerful appearance.

Buzzzz-

“Halt! 70 meters ahead, some things are approaching us. There are quite a lot of them.”

One of the attack unit members scouting the path ahead raised his voice. He possessed the unique job called “Scout.” He proved to be helpful on many occasions due to his excellent senses.

By focusing on the hearing, the buzzing noises could clearly be heard. It’s just that the noises were really soft and he had failed to notice it until now.

The Scout gulped. “They are also coming from our rear. Dammit… Doesn’t look like we can avoid them.”

They were boxed in from both the front and the rear. The enemies weren’t too far away, either.

Lee Jihye quickly made up her mind. “Get ready for battle. Guarders, to the front.”

“Guarders, to the front!”

“One person must attract the approaching monsters’ aggro.”

“Let me do it.”

One of the guarders voluntarily raised his hand. It was his role to move around and attract the aggro so that the members in the rear would have an easier time.

The moment the assigning of individual roles was finished, massive swarms of bees showed up from the front and the rear.

Even at a quick count, there were easily more than a hundred of them!

These things were monster bees that easily reached one meter in height alone. The attack unit members ended up wincing greatly at the revolting sight of the monsters’ antennae wiggling about.

“… Goddammit, this wasn’t a bonus stage after all?!”

Kim Choonwon swore under his breath.

The attacks of the monster bees, the King Bees, were horrifying.

The attacks themselves were straightforward in that the monsters simply fired their stingers, but just getting hit once spelled doom for the humans. Even if they were the “awakened,” they still didn’t have the ability to survive getting penetrated by such lengthy stingers. And if these things were laced with poison, then the moment you get hit would be the moment you head straight to the afterlife.

“Urgh!”

Unfortunately there was no besting the numbers game, and the attack unit members bitterly resisting became the King Bees’ sacrifices one by one. The humans getting hit by the stingers displayed symptoms of rapid paralysis and collapsed to the ground while foams bubbled out of their mouths. Various life-threatening symptoms, such as vicious trembling, played out next.

“What should I do?”

The gears in Lee Jihye’s head spun as fast as they could, but she just couldn’t think of a solution. If she abandoned them and ran, then her comrades would definitely die. On the other hand, she didn’t think they could win even if she remained and fought until the end.

“Ahk…!”

“Eunhye!”

Only after hearing Yoo Eunhye’s scream did Lee Jihye snap out of her thoughts. She urgently tried to get closer, but a King Bee blocked her path. Even Edward seemed to be struggling right now.

Never mind the others, she couldn’t afford to abandon Yoo Eunhye here. Lee Jihye raised her hand and fired a Water Spear, but the attack proved to be not all that effective against the King Bee.

No, the creature turned around and took aim at Lee Jihye, instead. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as the stinger of the bee monster flew in.

“All of you, I told you to behave yourselves, didn’t I?! You’re all driving Lyhee absolutely crazy. You lot need to be dunked and drowned in honey for the whole day so that you can all go, ‘Ah… this is why we need to listen to what Lyhee says,’ right? Right?!”

Suddenly, a voice dug into her ears.

Lee Jihye cautiously opened her eyes. At the same, she was greatly stunned by what she saw.

A small fairy with emerald hair was right in front of her.