Dungeon Hunter - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Episode 21. Dwarf, Quest, Success (4)

“What the heck?”

Was she hallucinating? Lee Jihye rubbed her eyes.

No matter how much she rubbed and rubbed, the semi-transparent fairy didn’t disappear from her view.

The King Bees stopped moving when the fairy threw a hissy fit, however. And as if they were all scared, the flapping wings seemed to lose much of their previous vigor, as well. Anyone could tell that these large monster bees were being controlled by this little fairy.

Lee Jihye looked around her. Only three members were still left standing. The other nine were collapsed on the ground for a long while now. No one had died, but quite clearly, they were in a precarious condition. Even then, she found it hard to make a move.

The fairy crossed her arms and spoke in a rather arrogant sounding tone.

“You’re sorry? Lyhee doesn’t believe in apologies. Lyhee likes seeing actions, not hearing empty words. There are too many men in the dungeon who whisper sweet words but end up hurting you real bad. A kind fairy like Lyhee will always end up as a lamb for slaughter to such men.”

Just listening to the story alone made the fairy sound like a tragic heroine. She even softly wiped the edges of her eyes as if to say that she had been burned by a man before, too. Of course, there was not a single drop of tears present, but anyways…

The King Bees began moving again. Lee Jihye’s eyes opened wider as she raised her cane.

“Stop!”

The two remaining attack unit members rushed to her side. There were only three of them, which was desperately not enough to stop this bustling swarm of King Bees.

Gulp!

Her legs trembled and her consciousness wavered, but she couldn’t afford to falter here.

Lyhee began frowning. “What’s up with this ugly hag? She even looks like the hippogriff’s ass, too.”

“A-an ass of what? No, besides all that! Why did you attack us?”

Lee Jihye got flustered but quickly regained her composure. She needed to buy some time and search for an opening to escape from here. Her gaze might be locked to the front, but her hands were busy making hand signals to the other two attack unit members behind her back.

The meanings had been agreed upon ahead of time in case they couldn’t say anything during life-threatening situations.

Opportunity, escape, seek help; the two members recognized those three things and bit down hard on their lower lips.

Lyhee covered her mouth and deliberately formed a surprised expression. “Oh my, my? Not only does she look like a hippogriff’s ass, she’s just as dumb! Maybe your brain is made out of sh*t? Urgh, so stinky.”

She then blocked her nose and fanned away with her little hand.

“…”

This was exactly the moment when the images of fairies that humans held in their heads shattered into bits and pieces.

Never in their lives had they ever heard of a fairy this malicious. The fairy tale versions of fairies were basically pure and kind creatures even if they could get quite mischievous at times. However, this fairy in front of them was anything but that.

They simply never had seen nor heard of a fairy with such a potty mouth.

Lyhee continued on. “Besides, I found some trash littering the route I use for my stroll, so why shouldn’t I clean them up?”

“Some trash…?”

“Iy-hehehe. Lyhee is a good fairy, so when Lyhee sees trash, Lyhee definitely throws them away.”

Lyhee was acting all conceited and the like. She definitely had placed herself within the category of “good fairy,” it seemed.

It was right then. The two members behind Lee Jihye took several steps back before breaking out into a full-blown sprint. They finally made their move before the King Bees or Lyhee had a chance to react.

“Aht! I’m not supposed to let them go, though…!”

“You think I’ll let you go after them? Water Spear!”

Lee Jihye had already resolved to sacrifice herself today, and flung a Water Spear in Lyhee’s direction. She thought that, since she now knew the one controlling the King Bees was this fairy, all she had to do was get rid of this annoying little creature.

Unfortunately, the fairies were astral beings. Not only that, Lyhee was a fairy of the Dungeon Core, no less. As long as the Core was not directly attacked, it’d be very difficult to physically harm Lyhee.

Even then, the little fairy’s cheeks puffed up greatly in displeasure. “You ugly hag! You dare to attack Lyhee?”

“Chet!”

Lee Jihye clicked her tongue and gripped her cane tightly in anxiousness. She wondered if this was the end of the road for her.

She desperately wanted to at least get Yoo Eunhye out of here, but it just didn’t seem possible right now. She predicted that a day like this would eventually come as she started entering the dungeon, but… Now that it was here, she felt completely at a loss.

“Even if Lyhee is as kind as an angel, Lyhee can’t let this slide. You must be disciplined.”

Lyhee wagged her index finger and pointed at Lee Jihye.

Buzzzz-!

Soon afterwards, the swarm of bees began moving again. Their numbers remained overwhelming. Lee Jihye’s skill was incomparable and didn’t even work on them.

Stab!

In the end, she couldn’t even put up any meaningful resistance and allowed a King Bee’s stinger to pierce her body. Her consciousness threatened to abandon her as a lengthy needle stabbed her side.

“Ah…”

Her eyes automatically closed.

Was this really the end? It was so unfair to die like this. However, time couldn’t be turned back, no matter what. No dream she had in her life was as vivid as this, so she couldn’t even claim that this horrifying reality was all a fake, a nightmare.

Lee Jihye soon completely closed her eyes.

It was at that moment that Lyhee softly muttered to herself. “Wait a second. It feels like Lyhee is forgetting something really important right now. What could it be?”

The little fairy quietly rubbed her chin, but couldn’t recall anything at all.

“Eiii…, it can’t be that important, then.”

Lululu!

She began humming next. No one could top Lyhee when it came to thinking positively, after all. Looking utterly unperturbed by such little things like “worries,” Lyhee made her exit. Countless King Bees then followed right behind her.

<hr />

Lee Jihye opened her eyes.

A pure-white ceiling greeted her. A view totally foreign to her unfolded before her eyes.

“A bed?”

Surprised by this cozy, warm feeling, she hurriedly looked at her surroundings. That’s when she discovered Yoo Eunhye next to her, grinning brightly.

“Hey, you’re finally up, sis.”

“Eunhye…”

“Why are you so surprised, though? Don’t worry, we’re in heaven.”

Heaven? Lee Jihye’s jaw dropped to the floor. She managed to extract the memories of the final moments, of her limbs stiffening and her breathing getting fainter. It’d be pretty weird if she somehow survived that situation.

Lee Jihye muttered, “So, we really died.”

“How do you feel?”

“Not sure yet. I’m just numb.”

“You’ll get used to it little by little. I panicked a lot when I first opened my eyes, you know?”

Sob.

That wasn’t much of a consolation. Tears as big as chicken droppings trickled down Lee Jihye’s eyes. That only made Yoo Eunhye deeply flustered, instead.

“S-sis?!”

“I’m sorry, Eunhye. I couldn’t protect you in the end.”

“I, I was just kidding! It’s just a joke! We’re not dead. Look, I’m completely fine! And this isn’t heaven, either.”

“Wha…?”

Lee Jihye, still shedding tears, blinked her eyes. Yoo Eunhye, feeling properly guilty now, hurriedly explained herself. “We’re in the dwarf village. Dwarves apparently saved us. I’m sorry, sis. I always wanted to pull a prank like this one, so… Please forgive me.”

“We’re still alive?”

“Yes, we are!”

Yoo Eunhye nodded her head theatrically. She inwardly swore that she’d never ever pull a prank like this on someone as kind as Lee Jihye.

Rub, rub. Lee Jihye wiped her tears away. She then pinched her cheeks, before suddenly pouncing on Yoo Eunhye. “You… you’re dead meat!!”

“Kyah-ahaha! I, I’m sorry, sis!”

Ten fingers began their sustained assault on Yoo Eunhye’s ticklish sides.

The chief of the dwarves, Steane, smiled bitterly.

“My apologies. I never imagined that you’d run into that evil, vile fairy in such a manner. It’s a truly fortunate coincidence that a pair of siblings from our village passing nearby discovered you in time. If not, you might have ended up as eternal regrets.”

Their current location was inside the elder’s residence. The moment the conditions of the attack unit members improved, they all barged in here all at once.

Lee Jihye tried to rein in her heavy breathing and asked first. “Just what was that fairy?”

“What else can it be, other than a truly vile, vicious piece of work for a fairy? She shows up every now and then and causes us endless torment, too. Every time she shows up, she makes a royal mess of the surroundings and then disappears. We also don’t know how to deal with her.”

Steane did not hold back with badmouthing Lyhee.

Lee Jihye angrily shouted out. “Shouldn’t you have warned us earlier if such a danger was on this floor?”

“Fuu… You’re indeed correct. I don’t know if this will be enough of a consolation, but allow us to present you with one weapon of your choosing per person. Please, think of them as the rewards for defeating ten Black Snails, along with my sincere apology added on top.”

Lee Jihye massaged her forehead.

She had come to realize that arguing like this wouldn’t get them anywhere. She was just angry that all of her fellow members almost died, that’s all. However, the village chief said that he didn’t foresee that event, either. Nothing would get sorted out by venting her anger here. Her role now should be to take a step back.

She replied, “There’s nothing we can do about it, since it was out of your expectations, anyway. Very well. I also do not wish for our relationship to come to an end in this manner, after all.”

“Thank you.”

It happened the moment Steane formed a solemn smile.

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

『Quest’s difficulty is being assessed. Its difficulty is ‘Low’.』

『The very first quest from the monster has been completed.

A new title, the ‘Impartial One (N, Strength +2)’ will be added to your status window.』

“It’s really a title!”

“Oh my gosh, I really acquired a title…”

Every attack unit member began quivering in excitement. Even if it was only a normal grade, they all knew how difficult it was to acquire even a single title.

A fair few number of “instant quests” had been completed already, but it seemed that no awakened out there had managed to complete a quest issued by a monster until now. As Lee Jihye stared wordlessly at the “first-ever” achievement for a long time, Steane addressed her again.

“Looks like something has happened to you all. But besides that, we should get going now. Let me guide you to our treasury.”

The Devil Hunter attack unit emerged from the dungeon, each of its members holding onto the weapons they had chosen. As they had already identified the safe routes, going back down the floors wasn’t difficult at all. None of them looked tired while their thoughts were firmly focused on finally going home.

Lee Jihye addressed her fellow members as soon as they left the dungeon. “Don’t forget to stop by at the hospital to get checked out, everyone.”

“Our dear Miss Manager is such a worrywart…”

“Eunhye, I wasn’t kidding.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Yoo Eunhye was already feeling guilty from her prior offense, so she immediately stopped wagging her tail.

They soon climbed aboard their exclusive bus parked outside the dungeon. This bus, provided to the Devil Hunter attack unit for their exclusive use, was not only massive, but was also bulletproof and could withstand most impact forces. There was the Devil Hunter’s trademark, the half skull logo, stamped on the sides as well, so the vehicle even served as a rolling advertisement.

Yoo Eunhye settled down on her seat and grandly stretched her limbs. “Ah, finally, we’re going home.”

Lee Jihye addressed her. “Put on your seatbelt.”

“Sis, be honest with me, okay? You’re my mom, right? My mom transformed into you, am I right?”

Lee Jihye ended up smirking just then. At the same time, though, fatigue rushed in. A few members had already begun dozing off the moment they settled down.

The bus driver reserved for the unit’s exclusive use waiting by the driver’s seat shifted his head back and opened his mouth. “Thank you all for your hard work. Looks like you’re all very exhausted.”

Lee Jihye lightly raised her hand and spoke with a tired voice, “Mister driver, please drive slowly this time.”

“Yes, ma’am. Will do.”

The bus driver stepped on the accelerator. Lee Jihye picked up her smartphone left behind in the bus. She switched the device on and input her password, then was greeted by “You have 26 unread messages” notification.

Out of those 26, 24 of them were from Kim Yongwoo, the guild master of the Heaven’s Will. As for the other two, they were phishing texts.

―I told you to wait for the attack leader Randalf, so why are you being so stubborn and still wish to go in there?

―Are you in the middle of the dungeon raid? Fuu, you’re driving me nuts. Call me as soon as you get back.

―Queries on your progress are raining down on us right now. Call me right away as soon as you’re outside, okay??

The content of the messages were more or less the same. Lee Jihye couldn’t really be bothered to send a detailed reply, so she typed the shortest words she could think of and tapped on the ‘send’ icon.

-Dwarf, quest, success. And sleepy.

She then tossed the phone aside and closed her eyes as well.

<hr />

Lyhee leaned her back against the dungeon core and raised both of her hands up high. “Master, Lyhee was wrong. Lyhee should’ve only scared them but ended up messing up big time.”

She readily made a confession. Even though I didn’t say anything in particular, she volunteered to get punished for her actions. I quietly stared at her.

“But master, this ugly hag suddenly attacked Lyhee, you know? If Lyhee had a real body, it would’ve been really painful, you know??”

“But you don’t have a physical body. Meaning, there was no need for you to be so agitated by such a level of attack.”

“Well, that is so true, but…”

Lyhee dejectedly dropped her head.

What I wished for was to scare the attack unit members and prevent them from climbing up higher than the seventh floor. Currently, there were no monsters placed in the eighth to eleventh floors, and the “Nagas” on the twelfth were Lv.3 mid-ranked monsters. The members struggled so hard against a single Pyrok, so they were definitely not strong enough to mount any sort of challenge to Nagas that lived in groups.

It was a simple matter of scaring them into giving up on climbing any higher. But then, Lyhee took it one step further and left them in a state of near death. I didn’t care about the others, but if my responses were any slower, I’d have lost both Yoo Eunhye and Edward. I was really cutting it close, since it was impossible to revive someone from the King Bee’s poison unless the antivenom was administered in less than twenty minutes.

“Looks like I’ll have to be a little stricter from now on.”

The event happened under my watch, so thankfully no one was killed. However, it was rather obvious that something big might happen if she rampaged around unchecked while I wasn’t looking.

Was I letting her run around free of blame for this?

“I shall be revoking your authority for a while.”

“M-master… Lyhee, Lyhee was wrong. Lyhee will never do it again.”

Lyhee was scared silly and began tearing up immediately. However, that wasn’t going to work on me. Actually, I even began thinking that maybe I should take this opportunity to discipline her properly, instead.

“I will be shutting down the garden you have created, as well. I’ve let things slide until now, but that was because I trusted you to perform your duties well. If you’re going to keep making mistakes of this nature, then I no longer have any reason to let things be.”

“Y-you mustn’t, master. If you do that, the honey bees will die. Lyhee must look after them every day, you know.”

Lyhee’s expression was so pitifully desperate.

Unfortunately for her, I had already made up my mind about this. If I forgive her now, no doubt she’d keep making mistakes in the future.

I turned around and headed to the 15th floor, in order to check up on the World Tree of the Origin.

“Master! Please, no. Lyhee will do her best, so please? Please?”

Her echoes faded away. Eventually, Lyhee was the only one left on the highest floor.

“Master…,” she sobbed.

Lyhee continued to cry in sadness, even forgetting to lower her raised hands.

<hr />

[Dimensional gates opening… 13%]

[Gate code, being forcibly overwritten. Forced transfer from the Devildom to Earth will now commence.]

[Dominion Hashumal plus 2000 extra angels…]

[The event message is currently being sent to all the players…]